The Legend of Zelda: The Alternate Link
by Hylian Harmony
Summary: While looking for treasure the Wind Waker bunch stumbles into a world parallel to theirs. A place called Hyrule and it's not under an ocean this time! They need a way back home and look to a familiar hero and princess for help. Friendships are made, secrets are uncovered, old enemies appear, and misunderstandings are everywhere! Will they get home or die trying?Spoilers for WW; TP.
1. Prologue

**The Legend of Zelda: The Alternate Link**

**Prologue:**

Legend tells of a prosperous land where there is peace among the inhabitants and miles of green as far as the eye can see. Legend also claims that this land, called Hyrule, was home to a boy that traveled through time. This boy's name was first whispered among the trees of the land until people caught wind of it and it became legend. None are more observant than the trees. They live countless years, much longer than any mortal could, and so they witnessed the golden land's distress and the boy who aimed to save it.

They witnessed him gathering sacred gems and then entering a temple. The Temple of Time, and it was here that the trees noted how the boy never emerged from the temple until seven years later. Wielding a sword with the power to repel evil and no longer a boy but a man, the hero stood and took in the sight that was once Hyrule.

Many years it takes to construct but demolishing something, now that is much easier. The once prosperous land was now desolate and devoid of life. A high tension hung in the still air and hope was now just a dream, a child's fantasy to the inhabitants.

Despite the fallen kingdom the hero took sword in hand and battled his way valiantly through the hordes of monsters, stopping to help anyone he could. With newfound hope the land began to possess small sections of light where darkness had been banished and sages had been awoken.

The hero eventually made his way to the King of Evil's lair, the once grand Hyrule Castle. There he freed the princess and together, with the aid of the sages, they sealed the Dark King away in the sacred realm and peace and light was restored to the land.

In thanks the princess sent the hero back in time to relive the years he lost. The trees distinctly remember the Hero of Time. His courage and sacrifice had been carved into their roots, never to be forgotten. Yet time travel is a tricky concept, and in doing so it created two different versions of the same land. Two alternate universes if you will. Though they were different they were close. Two sides of the same coin.

A single coins two sides can never touch each other and much in this fashion is how these worlds were meant to be: ignorant of each other, neither ever knowing of the other's existence. Yet, both rely on the other for if one side of a coin is bent so is the other side. Magic exists in both of these alternate lands. Magic is a mysterious force with little to no logic behind it and that is what makes it so dangerous.

However it is very powerful and can be found almost anywhere if you look closely enough. With the use of magic it could very well result in an event that allows both sides of the coin to touch. It's a funny thing, magic. It seems to be able to do the impossible, and turn the most unlikely situation into one that is the most likely to happen…


	2. Chapter 1: The Hidden Treasure

**Chapter 1: The Hidden Treasure**

A pirate ship had just pulled up and weighed anchor at Windfall Island. This pirate ship was well known across the Great Sea for causing trouble with a whimsical crew and a quite young but feisty captain. Aboard this ship, besides obviously the crew and its captain, were a young boy with the title Hero of Winds, a little girl, a young Rito girl, and a Korok.

The strange group were all there on a mission. Not to pillage or drink, although the crew will probably end up doing just that, but to investigate a treasure chart that had been found among many old papers, charts, and notices of the captain's mother. The treasure itself was unclear, but as a pirate the young captain couldn't resist and whatever the wish of the captain was the wish of the crew.

"Come on, Link! Hurry up!" Tetra called, especially short tempered today although it was hard to tell because the fourteen year old girl never seemed to be in a genuinely good mood.

"I'm coming!" shouted the green clothed hero from the other side of the ship who was hastily trying to strap on his shield to his back while walking. Link hurried over to Tetra and the others with his little sister close on his heels.

"Whoa, whoa! Hold it right there little girl!" Tetra exclaimed putting a hand up and stopping Aryll in her tracks, "Where do you think you're going?"

"With you! Big Brother said I could!" beamed Aryll proudly, "He even gave me my telescope back, so I can be a lookout for you guys!" Tetra then shot an accusing look at Link, arms crossed impatiently waiting for an explanation.

"She won't be a problem. I already discussed with her what to do if we get ambushed. Besides this is the first time in a year that she got to see me so I don't think it's fair to leave her behind," Link defended his case as if he'd rehearsed it a thousand times.

Tetra let out an exasperated sigh and muttered something unintelligible before speaking, "Fine. Let's go," she turned to her crew, "The rest of you stay with the ship! That's an order!" Then Tetra, Link, Medli, Aryll, and Makar departed from the ship and made their way to the only grave on the island.

The treasure chart, from what Tetra had deciphered, led to the lone grave on Windfall and apparently the treasure was hidden underneath it. From there it had stated that the treasure could only be uncovered by the Sage of Earth and Sage of Wind which is why Medli and Makar had been requested to tag along.

All the treasure, of course, would be shared equally once it was discovered. The grave was in relatively good shape but the writing was in ancient Hylian which was illegible to Medli but didn't pose much of a problem since they didn't need to know what was inscribed there even if some of them were curious.

Link, using his power bracelets, pulled the gravestone back to reveal a hole with a ladder leading down into inky darkness. Anticipating the lack of light, they had brought along candles. Tetra lit one and handed it to Link who took it before descending the ladder.

When Link called up that he had made it to the bottom, Medli climbed down next, then Aryll with Makar in her skinny arms. Tetra lit another candle before following her companions down into the hole. The passageway was narrow so they had to walk single file. Thankfully their candles, although wavering slightly, stayed lit. If they were blown out it would be nearly impossible to ignite them again in this hole.

The path wasn't very diverse and seemed to just keep going straight and sloping downward every so often leading them deeper into the ground. After ten minutes or so the passage opened into a wider room so they could all stand side by side. Tetra stepped forward and held the candle up to the wall in front of her. Illuminated by candlelight was a series of notes etched into the stone. Below that was another measure of notes.

"Oh, I think I get it!" exclaimed Medli, pointing slightly to the left side of the notes. Tetra trained her light on the space that Medli was indicating. Letters were inscribed in ancient Hylian.

"The top one says _**Earth **_and the lower one says _**Wind**_. Link can you conduct us both?" Medli said, looking expectantly at the blonde haired boy.

"Uh, I can try I guess," Link replied uncertainly, producing the Wind Waker from his pouch. Makar and Medli stepped in front of Link while Tetra stood back a bit with Aryll who was now also holding a candle since her elder sibling needed two hands to conduct properly.

The melody started out with Medli's lyre and clashed perfectly with the sweet, slightly sad, sound that Makar's viola produced. When the song ended, the notes on the stone wall glowed a bright white and miniscule cracks that they'd failed to notice before it up in that same white hot light to create strange looking symbols that looked neither hylian nor like anything else they'd seen before.

The flickering candles Tetra and Aryll were holding were suddenly blown out, but the absence of candlelight went unnoticed because of the intense light the stone wall was emitting. In fact, the light became so intense that they were all forced to close their eyes and turn away. Aryll and Tetra closed their eyes and dropped their candles so they could use their hands to shield their faces from the overwhelming light.

Suddenly the light began to grow even more than anyone thought possible and everyone grew dizzy. Darkness soon replaced the never ending light…


	3. Chapter 2: Lost in the Lost Woods

**Chapter 2: Lost in the Lost Woods**

"Tetra…wake up….wake up!" a voice insisted, "TETRA!"

The pirate captain's eyes snapped open quickly and she sat up or, rather, tried to. Aryll, who'd been leaning over her had been a little too close, and the two girls had bumped heads.

"Oww!" Aryll complained rubbing her throbbing forehead.

"Ugh, Aryll. What's your deal?" Tetra moaned massaging her temples.

"I woke up and you were passed out next to me. I don't know where we are," Aryll explained, standing up and offering a helping hand to Tetra who ignored it and stood up on her own. She took in her surroundings. All around them were….trees and more trees. They didn't seem to end and if they did there seemed to be a wooden wall behind them. Beneath their feet were leaves, broken twigs, the occasional rock, and grass. The sky was barely visible through the canopy of leaves.

"Any sign of the others when you got up?" Tetra asked Aryll distractedly.

"Nope. Just you," Aryll confessed quietly shaking her head and causing her blonde pig tails to sway back and forth.

"Alright, listen up," Tetra began her leader instincts already kicking in, "There must be some way out of here. You look over there and I'll search here."

"Aye aye Tetra!" Aryll saluted.

"That's _Miss_ Tetra to you swabbie. Now move it," Tetra corrected the younger girl. Aryll nodded and ran over to her assigned post, holding her telescope up to her eye the whole way.

Tetra rolled her eyes and began delving for a way out. After a couple minutes Aryll called Tetra over. "What'd you find kid?" Tetra wondered.

"Look Tetra! It's some kind of stone and it is singing! Listen," Aryll exclaimed pointing at a stone with an eye symbol on it. Both girls crouched down next to the stone and listened. It was silent for a few seconds and then Tetra heard it, a whistling tune. Aryll began to hum the song and the stone ceased producing sound. In her surprise at her unexpected solo Aryll stopped humming and after a second or two of silence the stone started the song from the beginning.

"Aryll keep humming it from start to finish," Tetra ordered.

"What'll that do?" Aryll wondered.

"It may just get us out of here. Think about it; we got here by Medli and Makar playing music, so maybe music will take us home," Tetra explained trying to be patient with the younger girl.

"But Medli and Makar are sages and I-" Aryll pointed out but was cut off by Tetra.

"Just do what you're told will you?!" Tetra shouted, her patience gone. Aryll jumped at the older girl's sudden increase in volume and tone and complied.

When she was finished all was silent for a while. "Great, it didn't work," Tetra thought to herself moodily. That was when she felt a small tug at her belt and whirled around the come face to face with a… well she wasn't quite sure what it was. A wooden imp creature? Then she noticed that it was holding a small tan pouch. Tetra felt around her belt only to find that her wallet was missing.

She lunged at the creature but it disappeared with a giggle in a swirl of leaves. A quick intake of air and then a sour note of a trumpet sounded. Tetra and Aryll turned to look. The creature was atop an old tree stump with an aged, crude looking trumpet in one hand and Tetra's wallet in the other, a look of gloating on its face, although it was a bit hard to tell with the shadows that its hat cast over it.

Out of seemingly nowhere wooden puppets on strings advanced on the pair. "Quick, what did Link tell you to do if we got ambushed?" Tetra asked turning to Aryll.

"He told me to get behind him and stay close and….he's not here right now so…" Aryll trailed off.

Tetra rolled her eyes and pushed Aryll behind her with one hand while she drew her dagger with the other. When the puppets were close enough Tetra freed them of their invisible puppet master and they laid in useless heaps at her feet. Tetra picked up a rock and chucked it at the creature who was too far away and too high up to reach.

It hit the thing on the head and it stopped laughing. A smile quickly replaced the momentary frown on its face and it jumped down from the stump and made its way towards a wooden wall which, to both girl's amazement disappeared. The creature now held a lantern and ran through the newly discovered passage.

Ugh! You stupid imp! Give me back my wallet!" Tetra yelled furiously before charging after the strange creature. Aryll followed silently. This new passage led to a different walled in enclosure, this time with a sparkling water source and another passage visible. Aryll put her telescope to her eye searching for the unusual thief among the trees.

"Where did it go?" Tetra muttered to herself stepping forward and looking every which way. A glint of yellow candlelight appeared in her peripheral vision and she turned to look. That thing had had a lantern…

"Aryll, follow me!" called Tetra running towards the other passage. Aryll took her telescope away from her eye and ran after the elder girl. At the passage they were cut off by more of those puppets.

"Not now!" Tetra exclaimed in exasperation, blindly, but expertly cutting them down. They were on the move again shortly and they were led into another empty section but with two passages this time.

"Which way Miss Tetra?" Aryll asked looking up expectantly at the young captain.

Look for the lantern light. Then we'll know which way to go," Tetra explained keeping a close eye on both of their options while keeping a firm grip on her dagger in her right hand. They were surrounded by puppets once again but Tetra got them both out of it unscathed. Aryll and Tetra both spotted the light at the same time and made haste through that passage where an upbeat song greeted their ears. It was being played by a trumpet.

"Where is it?" Tetra sighed searching for any sign of the creature.

"Hmm…follow the music?" Aryll suggested.

"In case you haven't noticed, Aryll, music hasn't exactly proved to be helpful to us today," Tetra replied looking around the area for the musician.

"Well, I'm going to go look for it while you fight off any of those creepy puppets that get in our way," Aryll announced, putting her telescope to her eye. The song suddenly ended and that same high pitched giggle followed by a sour note tormented their ears. Puppets dropped down from nowhere, obviously summoned by that other creature, and then the trumpet resumed its joyful song.

Tetra cut down the puppets fairly easily while Aryll ran around seeking the musician. She eventually found it behind a tree merrily playing on its golden instrument. Tetra wasted no time in running up to it and slicing him with her dagger. He disappeared in a swirl of leaves and opened a new passage before running away.

"Here we go again. Just give me back my wallet already! I don't want to play your stupid games!" Tetra shouted stamping her foot in aggravation and running after the strange creature. The process of tracking him down was the same as before and the pursuit turned into a pattern. After thirty minutes it became apparent that it was toying with them. Finally they were led to a brand new passage into an enclosure with many tree stumps surrounding a slightly bigger stump in the middle.

Tetra and Aryll jumped down from the ledge they were on and advanced on the creature which was standing on the middle stump grinning like a mad man. It produced Tetra's wallet from its pocket and wiggled it tantalizingly in the air before stowing it away and blowing randomly into its trumpet.

Puppets dropped down surrounding the stump it was on like sentries and slowly made their way to the girls. Tetra cut through them and then lunged at the creature. She made contact and hit it twice before being thrown off and having it teleport away. The battle ensued in this fashion and after what felt like forever the strange creature seemed to be defeated. It giggled and threw the tan pouch at Tetra who caught it in one hand. After this it revealed a narrow grassy slope before disappearing.

"Is…that it?" asked Aryll skeptically glancing around and clutching her telescope to her chest. Tetra surveyed the contents of her wallet. All her rupees were there, thankfully, as was her pirate's charm. Maybe she could contact Link? It was worth a shot. She removed the blue stone from her wallet before fastening it back on her belt.

The stone didn't work. Both stones had to be a certain distance apart to successfully interact with each other. Where ever Link was he wasn't close that was for sure. Oh well. They'd run into him eventually since they both had a funny habit of doing just that.

Tetra slipped the stone back into her wallet before following the eager Aryll to the new passage. It led to a grassy clearing with a crumbling stone structure to the left that must have been the ruins to some important place or other but was useless now. A marble arch with stone guardians on either side was to the right. Since that seemed to be the only way to go the pair walked up to the arch.

It led to another grassy clearing this time with trees on all sides and in the middle a white pedestal with a sword in it. "No way," Tetra breathed in awe. She jogged up to the sword to confirm her suspicions. In the pedestal rested the Master Sword. "But…how?" Tetra mused quietly to herself.

"What is it?" Aryll wondered oblivious to the ancient and powerful weapon before them. Tetra ignored the younger girl and circled around the sword. Being a pirate she had a keen eye and could distinguish between the real thing and a cheap knock off. This was certainly the real deal. From the unique design of the hilt to the thin yet sturdy sparkling blade everything was tangible.

Yet that posed the question: How? As far as Tetra knew, the Master Sword was at the bottom of the ocean in Hyrule sticking out of Ganondorf's head in a permanent stone seal, so if the Master Sword was here was Ganon now free? She sincerely hoped not. It was terrifying enough the first time and she still had nightmares about it over a year later.

"This doesn't make sense…" Tetra pondered crossing her arms and peering closely at the sword, "There is no way that this can be real." She reached out and wrapped her hand around the hilt. It wasn't a mirage that was for sure. Tetra experimentally tugged on the sword. It didn't budge proving even further that it was legit.

"Are we lost?" Aryll asked bluntly from her seat on the ground.

"Hmm?" Tetra said looking down at the little girl a little ways away, "Aryll, we're not lost.

"Really? Because it's getting dark, and I don't want to be in this place at night. We should leave," Aryll replied, glancing around uneasily.

"We arrived at Windfall in the morning. How can it be getting dark already?" Tetra questioned. Aryll just shrugged and pointed to the sky. It was a pale blue with pink sneaking in and diminishing sunlight.

"Maybe we were asleep longer than we thought?" Aryll suggested.

"Whatever. I don't like it either. Let's get out of here, kid." Tetra admitted hopping off of the pedestal and running back the way they'd come. "That imp creature led us here. Maybe he'll lead us back," Tetra called over her shoulder. Aryll nodded even though she knew Tetra wouldn't see it. When they reached the arena there was no sign of the childish creature.

The ledge that they'd jumped down from was too high for even Tetra to reach. After a while it became official. They were lost.


	4. Chapter 3: The Green Sea

**Chapter 3: The Green Sea**

Link awoke to insistent tugging on his hair and a jingling sound.

"Link!" Makar's squeaky voice exclaimed in relief, "You're awake finally!"

"How long was I out?" Link asked, sitting up and rubbing the last remnants of sleep out of his eyes.

"I'm not sure. Medli was the first one up. Then I got up a while after her. That was about ten minutes ago," Makar explained.

"Where is Medli?" Link wondered noticing the Rito's absence.

"She went to look around. I told her she shouldn't and that we should wait for you, but she ignored me and said she wasn't going far," Makar sighed in defeat.

"Why didn't you wake me earlier?!" Link exclaimed getting to his feet.

"I tried! You wouldn't wake up," Makar defended.

"As a matter of fact, where's my sister and Tetra?" Link pondered looking around as if the two were hiding and going to jump out at him any moment.

"No idea. We haven't seen them. When that bright light flashed everything went dark, and the next thing I know is I'm waking up here with you two," Makar answered gesturing to their surrounds with his stubby arms.

"Hey guys! You won't believe this!" Medli cried from the sky. She glided gently to the ground on her pristine white wings before putting them away and regaining her pale arms and hands.

"What'd you find?" Both boys wondered in unison.

"Green! It's all fields and mountain ranges! From up above it looks like a rolling green sea! I've never seen so much land in my life! This could be the New Hyrule you and Tetra are looking for!" Medli exclaimed ecstatically, speaking so fast it took a few moments for the boys to process what she was telling them.

"Is it inhabited at all?" Link questioned.

"I don't know. I didn't go very far," Medli admitted shrugging her shoulders.

"You didn't see Aryll or Tetra?" Link checked.

"No, I'm worried about them too, but I'm sure they're fine," Medli said smiling slightly.

"Maybe we should walk as far as we can until nightfall. We won't get anywhere staying in one place. We may find a clue as to where Tetra and Aryll are and maybe even bump into someone that can us where _we_ are," Makar suggested. The group agreed and they started in a random direction. Link carried Makar since his short legs made walking long distances a challenge while Medli walked alongside Link gazing in wonder at their surroundings. Link was amazed too. In all his many travels he'd never seen anything like this. Land as far as the eye can see were only things of legend. Times that were so far into the past that they weren't even conceived by the denizens of the Great Sea.

After what must have been an hour or so it began to grow dark. Now endless green was getting as annoying as endless blue. In Link's opinion anyway. Medli and Makar seemed to be relatively enjoying themselves. They decided to stop for the day although they all thought that it was strange that night had cast its shadow over the world so quickly. Medli and Link sat down cross legged on the grass and Makar jumped out of Link's lap and began to play his viola.

It was decided that Link would take first watch, Medli second, and Makar would take third. They hadn't run into any enemies so far but you couldn't be too careful. The night passed uneventfully for which they were all somewhat relieved. They continued their trek. Makar flew up a bit and claimed to see a castle up ahead.

"A castle?" Medli repeated.

"Yes," Makar confirmed dropping back down and in Link's awaiting arms. They all quickened their pace to find that Makar had been correct. There was indeed a castle guarded by sturdy stone walls. There were steps leading up to large wooden double doors. It seemed to be a garden of some kind. A girl with blonde pig tails on either side of her head had her back to them and was rifling through some flowers. The girl wore a blue dress that was overly and childishly decorated. What was assumed to be fake butterfly wings adorned her back. Overall her outfit was anything but ordinary but Link had seen weirder. She was the first person they'd seen in this unfamiliar place so of course they ran up to her for some clarity despite her….unique appearance.

"Uh…excuse me?" Link began tapping the girl lightly on the shoulder. She whirled around to face him with a smile on her face.

"Yes?" she asked sweetly.

"Well, my companions and I were wondering…" Link tried but got cut off abruptly by the younger girl.

"Oh! What are your companions? I've never seen anything like them, and a lot of strange looking people come through here!" The girl cried clapping her hands together in excitement.

"This is Medli. She's a Rito," Link explained gesturing to Medli with one hand and then nodded to the Korok in his arms, "and this is Makar. He's a Korok. Now-"

Really? I've never heard of those species before! Where are you from? Oh yes! I almost forgot to introduce myself," the elated girl rambled, "My name is Agitha and I'm a bug princess. I've lived in Castle Town all my life."

"A-wait. Did you say Castle Town?" Link asked.

"Sure did…uh…"

"Link," he supplied.

"Link! Of course, but…why does that name sound familiar?" Agitha mused.

"Is that Castle Town?" Medli interrupted, pointing to the double doors. Agitha turned to look and nodded in confirmation.

"Oh yes! I know that name from somewhere else, well, someone else. He brings me bugs for my ball. Bugs are hard to catch you know. I don't know how he does it!" Agitha exclaimed in wonder. By the way this strange girl was acting Link didn't blame the bugs for avoiding her. A bug ball? What was that about anyway? Even more interesting was her claiming to know another Link.

"Wait, Agitha, who is this other Link you're talking about?" Link questioned hoping that they could stay on topic this time.

"He wears green clothes just like you, but he has blue eyes instead of green, and his hair is a bit darker than yours, but otherwise I'd say that you two were spitting images of each other. Except for maybe height, and age. He is older. Seventeen maybe? I'm not sure, I never asked," Agitha explained.

"Okay. Thanks, Link said politely starting to walk away.

"Wait!" Agitha called. The trio turned back around.

"Are you _all_ going into Castle Town?" Agitha wondered. Link nodded slowly.

"Well, see the people of Castle Town…they may not accept your friends Link. It's true that a lot of strange people pass through here, but as I said before I've never seen any species like them. The guards are still a bit on edge and they might perceive them as enemies. Maybe they should out here. I could show you around Castle Town so you don't get lost in the crowds of people.

Link looked helplessly at his friends at a loss for what to do. Medli spoke up first, "Excuse us for a minute." She then pulled Link and Makar aside and spoke in a hushed voice, "What do you think?"

"Well, she doesn't seem bad, just a bit…eccentric. Do you really think there's some boy out there with the same name as me?"

"Not likely. She's obviously living in a fantasy. She probably just made it up to get a reaction out of you. I wouldn't worry about it, but considering that she doesn't know what a Rito was is, is saying something. I mean, our tribe delivers mail for a living; they must have a different postal service here. I think it might be a good idea to go into town with her. Find out as much as you can, and we'll wait for you here," Medli said taking Makar from Link.

"Will you be okay out here by yourselves?" Link checked.

"We'll be fine. There doesn't seem to be anything threatening around here and if there was I doubt that Agitha would be out here alone," Medli pointed out.

"Yeah!" Makar agreed, "You go find out where we are, and you could even ask around about the others." So it was decided. Link would take up Agitha's offer while Medli and Makar stayed in the garden out of sight of other people.

"Lil Grasshopper come on!" called Agitha who was hopping impatiently from foot to foot, the basket over her arm swaying violently. Link sighed but followed his new acquaintance through the enormous wooden doors.


	5. Chapter 4: The Lost Saviors

**Chapter 4: The Lost Saviors**

Everything was eerily silent in the Lost Woods, save for the high pitched chirps of crickets gradually coming out of hiding as the sun departed. A light breeze ruffled the leaves of the many trees and the setting sun cast large, deformed shadows.

"Tetra, what if I stand on your shoulders?" Aryll suggested. After realizing that they were more or less trapped they began to devise plans to get out. Unfortunately none of their plans had succeeded so far.

"Good idea, kid. Let's try it," Tetra said lowering herself to the ground, so it would be easier for Aryll to get on. Aryll scrambled unstably onto Tetra's shoulders, and Tetra slowly stood up while holding the younger girl's ankles, so she wouldn't fall. Then Aryll carefully stood up to her full height, balancing precariously on the pirate's shoulders.

She reached up as much as her tiny arms would allow but still came up short. The child then attempted to reach the twisted vine standing on tip toe. This minor change came unexpectedly to Tetra and she stumbled a bit causing Aryll to fail her arms wildly in her attempt to regain her balance but only managed to doom them further. Both girls tumbled to the ground with a scream and a loud thud.

"Oh…ouch. That didn't work at all," moaned Aryll.

"Ya think?" Tetra shot back sarcasm dripping from her words. She pushed the younger girl off of her roughly, ignoring Aryll's cry of protest. A stick had scraped the back of Tetra's leg when she had fallen resulting in a small paper cut like gash. It wasn't bleeding but it still hurt. Aryll was lucky that she wasn't her brother. If it had been Link that had caused her to fall and injure herself she would have returned the favor. Aryll got to her feet and dusted herself off. Tetra did likewise a minute later.

"I don't have any more ideas. What now?" Aryll wondered, pouting in defeat. Tetra was about to answer with a smart remark when a strange noise was heard. It didn't sound like that felonious creature from before. Peering curiously over the edge of their goal were…

"Monkeys?" Tetra whispered, a look of confusion on her face.

"What are monkeys? Aryll asked her voice hushed, unsure whether to be elated or frightened, "Are they friendly?"

"Monkeys are those animals you see right there," Tetra explained gesturing to the unfamiliar wild life on the unreachable ledge, "As for if they're friendly or not, I don't know. I've never seen a real one before."

"If you haven't seen one before, how do you know what they are?" Aryll pondered.

"I read about them in a book years ago. According to the book, all the monkeys were lost when Hyrule was flooded," Tetra said, giving the animals a skeptical look.

"Well apparently they weren't _all_ lost 'cause they're right in front of us," Aryll pointed out. The monkeys jumped down from the ledge and stared at the children for a moment before turning and ambling under the vine that the duo had been trying to reach in vain.

A monkey with a flower in its hair motioned Tetra and Aryll over. Both girls exchanged looks of uncertainty and then focused their gaze back on the animal. It motioned again a bit more insistent this time. Still neither girl budged. The same monkey came over and gently took Aryll's free hand. Then she, if the flower was any indication of gender, gingerly tugged on Aryll's hand to get her to move.

She hesitated for a second before following and was led to the rest of the peculiar animals. Then the other monkeys climbed on top of each other to form a makeshift ladder. The girl monkey scurried up the "ladder", grabbed onto the vines, and jumped to the ledge. She spun around and gestured for Aryll to follow.

Aryll's mouth formed into a small o as she pieced it together. "They're helping us Tetra!" exclaimed Aryll in realization. She then followed the monkey's example and carefully scaled the monkey made ladder. When she got to the vine and struggled a little the girl monkey came to her aid and helped her over to the ledge. Once she was safe and sound on the piece of land that had been their goal for at least fifteen minutes she called down to Tetra to hurry up.

If the monkeys were helping them then they had to have some sort of intelligence to an extent. For now, Tetra decided to trust the animals and quickly climbed up to the ledge. The other monkeys worked together to get themselves back up and then ran ahead.

"Should we follow or…" Tetra trailed off as Aryll darted after the monkeys. "I guess that means we're following," Tetra sighed before running to catch up to her tiny companion and their furry saviors. They were led to the place where they'd first awoken and beyond to a dead end with a chasm stretching out in front of them.

The monkeys obviously had a solution to this predicament too for they made a bridge out of themselves to allow the girls to cross to a small ledge. They repeated this process once more before they touched solid ground.

"Thank you monkeys!" Aryll called after the animals as they waved goodbye before disappearing into a different section of the woods. When they were gone Aryll turned to Tetra adopting her former pirate stance, "What now Miss Tetra?"

"Now, we find a place to sleep for the night," Tetra replied starting in the opposite direction that the monkeys had gone.

"Aren't we going to find Big Brother?" Aryll wondered, worry hinting in her voice.

"Eventually," Tetra said passively.

They ended up staying near where the monkeys had left them. Being in a forest like climate was fortunate since there were many dry leaves and twigs so getting a respective sized fire going wasn't too difficult. They were both famished but there wasn't any food around, and it was too dark to go searching for some.

The only option left was to sleep. Much to Tetra's chagrin Aryll laid her head down on Tetra's lap. Tetra wasn't notoriously one for cuddling, but she couldn't blame the kid. She was only nine after all. She wasn't cut out for an adventure like today which was why Tetra had been reluctant to bring her in the first place. It seemed that the simplest things turned into some grand complicated adventure with her and Link. She didn't want Link's little sister to be dragged into any more of it. Yet, here they were.

She couldn't let harm come to the Hero of Wind's innocent little sister. That's why Tetra felt obliged to stay up all night to keep watch even though she herself was exhausted. She was a pirate after all, a princess, the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom. She could do this.


	6. Chapter 5: Discoveries in Castle Town

**Chapter 5: Discoveries in Castle Town**

"Stay close Lil Grasshopper. Castle Town is a very busy place, and it's easy to get lost if you don't know you're way around," Agitha lectured Link as they stepped through the oversized wooden doors. Link was astonished at how many people there were. He'd never seen so many people in one place at once. Even Windfall wasn't as crowded as this, and it was supposed to be a merchant island! This place put Windfall to shame.

"My name's Link," he reminded his guide, hinting that he was not content with the name she had given him.

"I know, but your clothes are green like a grasshopper, and I like giving people nicknames," Agitha giggled grabbing Link's hand and dragging him deeper into the sea of people. They passed many different stalls that sold a variety of items like flowers, bread, meat, fruit, and many more odds and ends. Link would have liked to browse a little, but Agitha didn't allow him any time to dally. He was on a mission anyway. He had to focus and not think about the food that was silently mocking him. So close yet so far. Link sighed inwardly.

Focusing proved to be a hard thing to do in Castle Town as Link soon found out. People were constantly rushing by, their destination unclear, shouting words that were lost as soon as they left the mouth of their owner. All the bustle was starting to give Link a headache. Agitha seemed unaffected by it, but he supposed that was to be expected if she lived here. He, however, much rather preferred his quiet little island or even Tetra's pirate ship over this chaos.

A line of what Link assumed were the guards that his guide mentioned earlier marched past them. They wore silver armor and…was that the hylian crest? Agitha continued to pull him past, so he could only catch a glimpse. Was that the hylian crest or did he just imagine it? If it was real then what did it mean?

They had apparently reached their destination for Agitha opened the door to a building like she owned the place, which she probably did, and tugged Link inside. She slammed it shut behind him, but Link wasn't paying attention. He was more fascinated by the giant tree fixated in the middle of the room and all of the bugs creeping, crawling, and flying around. Link was amazed that this girl could live with all these bugs in her house.

"Welcome to Princess Agitha's Castle!" Agitha chirped, setting down the basket she had hanging from her arm.

"So…you live here?" Link asked.

"Oh yes!" she replied enthusiastically, "but that doesn't matter right now. I just had to drop off my basket. Now I can show you around town. Let's go!" Agitha then pulled Link out of her "castle" and led him through town stopping occasionally to point out places she dubbed important.

"…and that's Telma's Bar down those steps. I've never been in there myself, they don't allow kids, but I've heard that the owner, Telma, is really nice and helpful," Agitha explained about a half hour later.

"Is that it?" Link wondered, trying not to sound rude.

"One more place Lil Grasshopper! Follow me!" Agitha exclaimed before turning on her heel and heading for the central square which must have been the busiest place in Castle Town. Link sighed inwardly for the second time that day. He really wished this tour would come to an end. This place was making him feel claustrophobic and a migraine was developing in his temples. He definitely wasn't used to this much life and energy in one place.

Agitha guided him to the fountain in the middle of the square and turned to face the castle. She pointed to it and cried, "And now the main feature! That is the whole reason for Castle Town's existence. Hyrule Castle!" Link's ears perked up. Did she just say _Hyrule Castle_?

"Excuse me, what did you just say?" Link asked, questioning his hearing abilities at the moment.

"I said Hyrule Castle. Why?" Agitha repeated. Hyrule! She said Hyrule! But Hyrule Castle is underwater. It's flooded. The King had flooded it himself and drowned along with it. Yet as he inspected it he noticed the similarities. Did they travel back in time? Back to when there was still a Hyrule? Before it was flooded? If that was the case then could he actually meet the Hero of Time, his ancestor?! So many questions and no one to answer them. That's when he noticed that Agitha had been frantically calling his name. He must have spaced out.

"Sorry," he apologized, "I was just thinking about something."

"Oh…okay then," Agitha smiled.

"Did you happen to notice any girls? Such as a nine year old that has eyes and skin like mine with blonde hair in pig tails wearing a blue dress with a flower on it? Or maybe a girl with tan skin, dark blue eyes, and blonde hair wearing a pale purple top, a blue vest, white shorts, and a red bandana tied around her neck?" Link questioned.

"Hmmm…no. Sorry," Agitha said after mulling it over for a few seconds.

"Alright. Thanks for showing me around anyway. Would you happen to know a trick to finding people who are missing around here? Or someone that could help me with that perhaps?" Link asked, slightly disappointed by the younger girl's answer.

"Well, Hyrule's a big place. Who are you looking for?" Agitha wondered.

"My little sister and my friend. We got separated," Link replied.

"Are they both Hylian?"

"Yes."

"Then they could be anywhere, but usually finding specific people and tracking them down is tricky. If you want my advice, I'd look and ask around in the last place you saw them, but if that doesn't work the Princess of Hyrule is very wise. She may help you but getting an audience with her is difficult, and I think you need to be at least eighteen to arrange one. Otherwise, you need an adult. If you ever need a place to stay, stop by Agitha's Castle. It'll always be open to you and your friends Lil Grasshopper!" Agitha left then, those her last words. Link made his way back to his companions who were waiting on the steps just outside of town like they'd promised.

Upon seeing Link they both brightened and got to their feet. "So? What'd you find out?" Medli wondered eager to know every detail.

"We're in Hyrule," Link stated, still in shock at his most recent discovery.

"H-Hyrule?" stammered Medli in disbelief, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Agitha plainly said that that was Hyrule Castle!" Link exclaimed gesturing at the castle visible over the stone walls of the town, "That song must have sent us back in time!"

"Whoa there. You're really basing this off of what that crazy little girl said?" Medli wondered her previous bewilderment fading and turning into skepticism.

"Of course not Medli! I saw the guards. They had the hylian crest on their armor, and I even saw the castle up close. It looks really similar to the one that I know," Link explained.

"So you really think we were sent back in time by that song? How can a song do that?" Makar wondered as Medli processed this new information.

"It must be because we're sages," Medli concluded, "If someone else were to play that song it probably wouldn't do anything, but if people with some sort of blessed power, like us, played it then anything could happen."

"That also makes me wonder," Link spoke up, "I was conducting you both and you guys were playing your instruments. Tetra and Aryll were just standing back holding candles. Did the song only teleport us, or did it teleport everyone in the room?"

"So you're saying that Tetra and your sister could still be in that cave wondering where we went." Makar said, thinking aloud.

"Exactly, but what if they did teleport with us? You saw that light. It couldn't have enveloped just us." Link replied.

"Let's just say that we were all teleported. We were all standing close to each other so we got warped to the same place. I think that if Tetra and Aryll got teleported as well that they ended up in the same area, so they aren't alone," Medli speculated.

"Yeah but where did they get warped to? They weren't standing too far away from us," Link said, glancing between his two friends for an answer.

"I think we need a map. If this really is Hyrule then we don't know our surroundings at all," Medli suggested.

"Okay. I think I remember seeing a stand selling maps in town," Link recalled, "I'll go buy one and then come back here so we can look at it together." After his friends nodded in understanding, he headed back into the town he now dreaded almost as much as any dungeon.

With a bit of difficulty Link located the map merchant and purchased a map for more rupees than he would have liked to spend, but it was worth it if it would help them find the others. Then he made his way out of the overly populated town and back to familiar faces.

They spread the map down on the ground and held it in place with rocks on the corners so the wind couldn't snatch it up in its invisible hands and whisk it away to some unknown place. The three companions then leaned over the parchment and studied it intently. It was written in Hylian that wasn't exactly ancient but definitely wasn't what they were used to.

"I can't read it," Link stated blatantly after a minute of staring blankly at it as if he stared long enough it would morph into a language he could understand.

"Me either," the Korok squeaked sadly.

"I can, but only a bit," Medli said after a while of peering at it.

"Really? Read us what you can decipher," Link requested.

"Okay well, it looks like there are different provinces that make up Hyrule," Medli explained taking a deep breath before continuing. She pointed to the area near the bottom of the map, "I think this province is called Or-Orda-no wait. Ordon. I'm pretty sure," she moved to the picture of Hyrule Castle in the middle of the map, "We're here in Lanayru," She continued, sliding her finger over to the right, "Then this one says El…din. Eldin. I can only decipher bits and pieces of the rest though."

"The Great Deku Tree sometimes tells us about Hyrule and how there used to be a forest. Do you see any type of forest?" Makar asked. Medli scanned the map but came up empty handed.

"No, I don't see anything. Nothing that outright states that it's a forest anyway. I'm sorry I can't decipher more," Medli apologized looking upset and bowing her head slightly.

"That's okay, Medli. You've been a big help already. You figured out more than I could have," Link reassured the Rito girl placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Let's put it side to side with my sea chart and compare the two." Link reached into his pack and rummaged around for a minute before pulling out his sea chart with a flourish and laying it flat next to the map, keeping a hand on it so it wouldn't be blown away.

"The Tower of Gods is in the relatively same place as Hyrule Castle which makes sense seeing as that's the first place that I descended into Hyrule. Windfall is to the northwest so I guess it makes sense that we got dropped somewhere around there in Hyrule, but if Tetra and Aryll were warped as well where would they go?" Link pondered biting his lip and thinking hard.

"Hmm…maybe since they weren't playing anything it put them somewhere random," Medli suggested.

"How does that help us? If it just randomly teleported them-" Link ranted, becoming frustrated.

"Maybe it wasn't completely random," Makar cut in, "What if it took them in the opposite direction. So if we went northwest, it took them southeast."

"That could be possible," Medli admitted after absorbing the information, "and if it's true then it means that they are somewhere in the Ordon Province!"


	7. Chapter 6: Wise Words

**Chapter 6: Wise Words**

When the first rays of the golden sun hesitantly peeked over the tree tops a certain pirate captain shook awake her dozing companion. The crackling fire that they'd had going the previous night had long since died out. True to her silent word Tetra had stayed up all night. It actually hadn't been too hard. She'd stayed up three days straight before a few years ago. She didn't remember the exact reason, but she knew it had been important. Of course, after that she had slept a whole day and a half away, but that wasn't the point.

All night she'd been mulling over the fact of finding the sacred blade, the Master Sword in that clearing. She couldn't come up with a logical answer. Tetra would like to know where on Din's red earth they were! A giant island made up solely of forest perhaps?

"Tetra, I'm hungry," Aryll whined.

"Me too, but we don't have anything to eat at the moment," Tetra replied, "Come on let's keep moving. Hopefully we'll find something."

"Like the treasure!" Aryll exclaimed in excitement, skipping ahead.

Tetra smirked, "Sure, kid…like the treasure." Although Tetra would have just settled for something familiar right now, or maybe even food. With all this vegetation they had to find _something_ edible. After all, those monkeys didn't look like they were starving, so they had to have some type of food source in this forest. She sighed and followed Aryll calling for her to slow down.

When Tetra caught up with Aryll she ordered the little girl to stay put while she climbed a tree to come to terms with their surroundings. This place was strange. The air had a completely different feel to it. One that she wasn't used to. Aryll lent Tetra her much valued telescope so she could have a better view.

"Be careful!" Aryll called up to Tetra who was climbing higher and higher up a huge tree, Aryll's prized possession in one hand.

"Please, Aryll. I'm a pirate. I swing across ropes and scale things all the time. This is nothing!" Tetra shouted down as she reached for another branch.

"Still! Just don't fall!" Aryll advised clearly anxious even with the elder girl's assurance.

Tetra rolled her eyes and hid a smile. The kid was cute. What could she say? As she ascended higher and higher the young captain refrained from looking down. Don't get the wrong idea. She wasn't scared of heights. If she was, it'd be pathetic. Looking down would only break her concentration.

After what she estimated to be five minutes she reached the peak. The view was breathtaking but what greeted her eyes, or rather what didn't, made her heart skip a beat. Water; there was none. Land; stretching out in front of her like some foreign ocean. Where was the blue? The sparkling surf and waves? Why did she only see land? At first she was disappointed but then perked up in realization and nearly dislodged herself from her perch in her ecstasy.

"Could this be the New Hyrule they'd been searching for? But wait….no. That couldn't be right. Why would the Master Sword be here or anywhere besides Ganon's head for that matter? Her previous hopes and dreams washed away, taken captive by the tide of reality and her usual disapproving frown reappeared on her face.

"Well that was a waste," Tetra thought, "All that and I still don't know where we are." Before descending the tree Tetra tried to use her pirate's charm once again in an attempt to contact her hero. No such luck. The stone remained dull and lifeless in her hand. That's fine. She hadn't expected it to work anyway.

Tetra began to climb down. When she was about halfway to the stable ground, the branch that had been supporting most of her weight snapped unexpectedly. Tetra gasped and desperately tried to cling to the branch she had her right arm around since she was using her left to hold Aryll's precious red telescope.

"Are you okay, Tetra? I heard something snap," Aryll's small cry came from below as she scanned the dense foliage for her pirate companion.

"I'm," Tetra readjusted her grip, "fine. The branch I was standing on snapped is all. Nothing to worry about." Yet a few seconds later the situation proved to be very concerning. Tetra couldn't get a firm grip on the thick branch and there wasn't any available foot holds unless she dropped a few feet and took the risk of breaking something. Her arm made the decision for her and slipped, which was more painful than it should have been, and she couldn't help but give a small shriek as she fell. Tetra fumbled for a hand hold which was kind of hard when you're falling out of a tree getting scraped up and having the wind knocked out of you by branches that are flying by.

Somehow she managed to switch the telescope to her right hand and grab onto an incoming branch with her left thus stopping her fall but also nearly popping her poor arm out of its socket. Tetra, not realizing she'd closed her eyes, opened them and found that she still had a little ways to climb down.

So, ignoring the soreness in her left arm, she climbed down the rest of the tree and was relieved to touch solid ground. Immediately, Aryll ran over to Tetra concern distorting her features.

"I'm okay," Tetra reassured, wincing as she moved her left arm experimentally. She returned the telescope to Aryll who accepted it gladly.

"So? What'd you see?" Aryll asked, looking about ready to burst in anticipation.

"Surprisingly, land," Tetra answered.

"No water?" Aryll wondered, her eyes wide in shock.

"Nope."

"Then where did the sea go?"

"I don't know Aryll. Come on." The duo continued walking for a good half hour or so before Tetra heard a voice.

"O youth…come to my spring," a whisper called her. Tetra stopped and blinked. Had she imagined the voice? Noticing that her partner had stopped, Aryll came to a sudden halt also and spun around, looking up at Tetra in confusion as to why they were stopping.

"Aryll, did you hear something?" Tetra questioned her younger companion. Maybe the lack of sleep was getting to her.

"Yes, I heard a whisper, or at least I think I did. I'm not sure what it said though," Aryll confirmed.

"It wants us to 'come to its spring'," Tetra informed the younger girl.

"I think I hear water up ahead. Let's go!" Aryll exclaimed, taking off.

"Aryll! Wait up!" Tetra yelled bolting after her.

When she found Aryll she was standing in clear, shallow water. Tetra splashed into the spring and grabbed Aryll roughly by the arm.

"Don't run off like that!" Tetra chastised.

"Sorry, Tetra," Aryll apologized not sounding the least bit sorry. Their bickering diminished into silence when the clear water glowed a bright gold starting from the middle and extending outward transforming everything in its wake into a more beautiful sight than before. A monkey type creature hugging a ball of pure light formed in front of them. The monkey had a long intricate tail that curled protectively around its whole body, causing the figure to look like a swirl of light.

"Pretty," sighed Aryll in awe, intrigued by the monkey made of light before her.

"You have a familiar air about you. Yet it is very unfamiliar at the same time. What are your names?" the being of light spoke gently.

Aryll was about to respond but Tetra beat her to it, "We're not telling you anything until we know who, or what, you are." Tetra narrowed her eyes menacingly.

"Bold words escape your tongue child. I can feel that you are not native to these lands. My name is Faron. I am the light spirit that watches over these woods. Now I request for the second time, your names."

"The name's Tetra and that's Aryll," Tetra introduced, indicating her companion with a small wave of her hand, "Why did you call us here?"

"You are in _my_ woods are you not? Dark times have passed in this land and peace is upon us. It is the duty of all the light spirits that the latter continues to ring true." Faron explained.

"Well, Faron, Aryll and I would love to get out of here, but we have a…..predicament. You see we were teleported here by mistake along with three others, but they weren't warped to the same area as us. We all need to get back together and go home," Tetra replied, stepping forward, her arms crossed.

"Teleported here?" Faron asked sounding alarmed, "How?"

"A song. Our friends played a song and we were suddenly waking up in your woods getting mocked by a strange imp creature with a trumpet and being helped by animals I thought were lost long ago!" Tetra exclaimed using hand gestures to emphasize her words.

"Ah. That 'strange imp creature' you're referring to is Skull Kid. Do not fret. He's harmless and a bit lonely. He plays with whoever enters the Lost Woods. Tell me, what was the song your friends played?"

"I don't know. They don't know either. We found it on a strange wall hidden underground," Tetra shrugged.

"Hmm….getting you home will be more complicated then. If you knew what song had been played then all your friends would have to do is play the song backwards for you all to get home. Seeing as that's not the case it is beyond my magic expertise. However," Faron continued at Tetra's annoyed expression, "The goddess left me with a riddle long ago saying it would one day help herself return to where she belonged. I did not know what it meant and she had told me that she had no idea either. That it had just been whispered in her ear one night by her eldest and wisest sister. I've protected those words until the time would come one day to use them. I believe now is that time. Listen closely to Her Grace's instructions:

_'Search for your counterparts; one of courage; one of wisdom,_

_ And reach deep into the light._

_ Reawaken the servant who dreams, _

_ Then enter the castle within,_

_ And bless an ancient life with light._

_ A path shall be opened._

_ Only then may you have the means of returning home.'_

Good luck to thee O youth," Faron bid farewell before disappearing.

"Hey wait a minute! That didn't even make any sense!" an enraged Tetra shouted throwing her hands up in the air. The spirit, however, was already gone. "Counterparts? What's that supposed to mean? What light? What servant? What castle? Who's life? Ugh!" Tetra fumed.

"Tetra, calm down. Maybe we can figure it out if we take it line by line," Aryll interrupted trying to think rationally, "Let's take the first line; _Search for your counterparts; one of courage; one of wisdom."_

"Your counterparts…one of courage….one of wisdom…" Tetra mused plopping down on a nearby boulder.

"What does counterpart mean?" Aryll asked sitting on a smaller boulder near Tetra.

"It's sort of like a separate version of yourself. To put it simply. There are two of you running around. Different but the same," Tetra explained.

"Do other versions of people even exist?" Aryll wondered.

"I don't know. I guess it's possible but not at the same time," Tetra yawned stretching, "Let's keep moving for now. We need to find Link and the others before we can go home anyway."

The girls continued through the forest and came to a wooden suspension bridge stretching across a dangerous looking chasm. Both girls strode across without incident and Tetra pulled herself and Aryll behind some bushes.

"Ow-" Aryll protested, but Tetra slapped her hand over the younger girl's mouth, cutting her cry short.

"Shhh!" Tetra hissed, "Do you want to get caught?"

Aryll shook her head and Tetra removed her hand. "I didn't see anyone," Aryll whispered back.

"It was a little boy," Tetra said quietly, "Come one let's climb up that tree so we can watch."

Aryll agreed silently and they scaled the tree, Aryll being assisted by the older, stronger girl when necessary. Finally they had a nice perch and were perfectly secluded by all of the leafy foliage. They could see inside the gates of a similar looking spring to Faron's that had been the destination of the little boy that Tetra had seen. There he stood with an older boy.

The girls couldn't see many details since they were so high up. "Aryll, give me your telescope," Tetra demanded. Aryll pressed the metal telescope into Tetra's awaiting hand, and she put it up to her eye and focused it on the two figures in the spring. The one that Tetra had spotted earlier looked to be about Aryll's age with blonde hair and strange looking clothes. Not to mention his ears were rounded. She focused on the other boy and gasped, nearly dropping the telescope.

The boy looked like an older version of Link, green tunic and all. Granted, his hair was a few shades darker, and he had piercing blue eyes instead of mischievous green ones but still. The resemblance was uncanny. "The other boy down there looks like an older version of your big brother, Aryll" Tetra said, not taking her gaze away from the sight.

"Really? Let me see!" Aryll exclaimed, interested now.

"No. I'm still looking," Tetra refused.

Aryll didn't back down, "Come on; give it! It's mine anyway!"

"Shut up. You're too loud!" Tetra whisper-shouted, "They'll hear you!"

"Na uh! They're too far away!" Aryll argued.

"If you yell they'll hear you, stupid! They're not deaf!" Tetra retorted. Aryll lunged for her telescope catching Tetra off guard. She successfully snatched her telescope out of the hands of the determined captain but caused Tetra to lose her balance in the process.

Thanks to being a pirate she had swift reflexes and grabbed onto another branch a little ways down, a bit noisily, but that couldn't be helped. Aryll had held in her own scream of horror by covering her mouth with her hand when Tetra fell.

"Are you okay?" Aryll asked, sounding guilty as if she was being caught doing something she wasn't supposed to, "I didn't mean to make you fall."

Tetra winked and smirked at Aryll silently sending the message that she was alright. Aryll put the telescope to her eye to look at the boys but quickly lowered it and turned to Tetra panicked.

"They're heading this way! Hurry get out of site!" Aryll warned in as quiet a voice that she could manage in her panic induced rush to get the words out. Tetra wasted no time. She reached up with her other hand and heaved herself onto the branch. Then she stood up, a bit shakily, and hopped to a neighboring branch that was better obscured by leaves. Not a moment too soon.

The boys had just reached the foot of the tree and were scanning its branches for the disturbance. Aryll and Tetra were as still as statues not daring to make a sound for fear of being discovered. After what felt like an eternity the boys dismissed it as a squirrel or bird and headed back to what Tetra assumed to be their village.

Both girls let out breathes that they hadn't even been aware that they had been holding in relief. That boy look too much like Link for it to be a coincidence. Tetra gasped in realization. _Search for your counterparts; one of courage; one of wisdom_. She had had her suspicions, but now she was almost positive that this was its true meaning. In this unfamiliar place there must be another Link and Zelda. Tetra's lips slowly curved into a smile as she allowed her blue-eyed gaze to drift in the direction that the boys had disappeared in. It looked like they had found the other Link.


	8. Chapter 7: The Issue of Transportation

**Chapter 7: The Issue of Transportation**

Now the threesome had a general idea of where they thought their friends were. The only problem: How would they get there? Walking would take days and Medli couldn't fly very far for extended amounts of time. Even if they decided to take up the challenge they had no survival supplies and somehow Link felt that buying them would render him bankrupt.

"What did they use in Hyrule for transportation?" Link pondered, putting the map and sea chart away and pacing. Medli and Makar shrugged, just as lost.

"Hey, maybe we could ask that Agitha girl!" Makar exclaimed, "Do you know where she lives Link?"

"Regrettably…..yes," Link admitted after a few seconds of silence.

"Sorry to be a bother, Link, but could you please go there and then come back here with her answer?" Medli asked sweetly, knitting her hands together in a begging fashion.

"Stop trying to sugar-coat it Medli. I'm the only one that can go in there anyway. Unfortunately. I'll be as quick as I can," Link sighed before waving to his companions and reluctantly making his way back into town.

"We'll pray for you!" Makar joked at Link's retreating back. Medli and Makar burst into laughter while Link just shook his head while thinking that they wouldn't be laughing if they had to go into town. He retraced his steps back to Agitha's house, thankful for once for the vast complicated temples and dungeons he faced on previous journeys for he had developed a surprisingly good sense of direction because of them.

Link took a deep breath in preparation for the energetic girl before knocking. Agitha flung open the door and giggled in excitement upon seeing him.

"Come in please Lil Grasshopper!" giggled Agitha stepping aside to let him in. Link stepped into the house and Agitha shut the door behind him closing off any means of escape for him and the bugs.

"Uh…Agitha, I have a question," Link began.

"Okay," Agitha nodded to show she was listening.

"What do you use for transportation around here?" Link asked cutting to the chase.

"Usually people walk or use horses or horse drawn carriages," Agitha answered. Link had no idea what those last two things were.

"W-what are horses?" Link wondered, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. Agitha doubled over in laughter. When she calmed down a little she looked back to her guest to find a timid but serious look on his face.

"Oh….you're not kidding?" chuckled Agitha trying to regain her posture. Link shook his head. "Where have you been living Lil Grasshopper? On an island in the middle of nowhere?" teased Agitha unable to contain her grin.

_"If only she knew,"_ Link thought.

"Well…" Agitha started to explain scrunching up her face in concentration, "horses are animals. They're-oh! You _do_ what animals are, right?" Link nodded and she continued, "They're big and strong and walk on four legs. They come in all different colors and people train them to ride them. If you need to get somewhere fast horses are your best bet, but if you don't know how to ride one you should find someone who can and have them take you. Of course, you could also rent out a horse drawn carriage, but you have to know certain people or have about ten thousand rupees lying around to do that."

"Do you know anyone with a carriage or horse that would be willing to help me?" Link questioned the words horse and carriage foreign on his tongue.

"Mm… Agitha hummed rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, "I've never been anywhere besides Castle Town my whole life so I wouldn't have any need to know much about travel but," Agitha quickly continued seeing the crestfallen look that passed like a shadow over her new friend's familiar face, "I do know that Grasshopper, that's the other Link I told you about earlier, has a horse and he enjoys helping other people solve their problems. He helped me gather all my guests for my ball," Agitha gestured around the entire house pointing out bugs, "and he managed to find partner for almost every one so they're not lonely! I'm sure that he will help you too!"

Link looked discouraged. What was he going to do? They needed answers, not an eleven year old's imagination.

"Lil Grasshopper don't look so sad!" Agitha exclaimed, "I can write a letter to him. Yes! That's what I'll do! I'm sure he'll come, but it may take a couple days. The postman is weird and he gets drunk a lot but he is fast," Agitha ran over to a cluttered desk with papers, writing utensils, and goddesses only knows what else on it. She sifted through these items, delving for something that seemed to be missing.

She found what she'd been searching for, an inkwell. Unfortunately it was empty. After a few more minutes of ransacking every desk and drawer in her house while Link stood back watching awkwardly, Agitha turned smiled apologetically at Link.

"I'm sorry Lil Grasshopper. I don't seem to have any more paper _or_ ink. If you don't mind, could you please buy some for me so I can write the letter?" Agitha asked, clasping her hands together in a pleading manner. Link nodded and Agitha brightened pressing a purple rupee into his hand.

"Thank you! Hurry back!" Agitha called giddily as he left. When Link stepped back onto the cobblestone path it occurred to him that he had no idea where to purchase the supplies. Link sighed and contemplated if it was really worth it. Seriously, what were the odds that the girl was even right? Although he supposed that it could be true since him being in Hyrule was definitely real. It did explain the hylian crest, the guards, Castle Town, the fields of green, the similar yet different hylian language…maybe….there was another Link. The Hero of Time perhaps? Yes, it had to be! And seeing as they had traveled back in time there was a good chance that the Hero of _Time_ could help them get back!

With renewed vigor Link started in a random direction, determined to complete his errand. After a little over an hour Link finally found the secluded shop. It hadn't been easy since he couldn't exactly read what the signs said and had to rely solely on symbols and painted pictures, some better than others, for guidance. The shop was located in one of the quieter sections of town and probably the most neglected. The cobblestones were cracked and missing in places and the buildings looked like the next storm would blow them right off of their wooden foundations. Somehow it felt more comfortable to Link. Maybe because it was a bit closer to what he was used to. The quiet at least.

Link stepped into the shop to be greeted by a grumpy looking shop owner, an old man with graying hair in a yellow vest and long-sleeved brown shirt. The rest of his body was obscured by the desk he was leaning over. The man made him a bit apprehensive, so as quickly and politely as he could Link purchased the slightly overpriced items, which was something he was still getting used to, and left the dreary shop. He had to contribute forty of his own rupees plus the fifty rupees that Agitha had given him to purchase the supplies.

Castle Town seemed to want to rob every one of their rupees. Link had come with about two thousand rupees in his possession and already he was down to a little over one thousand. Hopefully he wouldn't have to buy much more or he'd go broke.

The green clad hero made haste back to Agitha's, and when he arrived he shoved the items into her hands and eagerly ordered her to write. Agitha swept the papers, quills, and any other inanimate object that was a blight to the space off of the desk, not seeming to care when it all landed on the floor, slammed down a piece of paper, and sat down. She flicked open the new inkwell and picked up a fallen quill. She then began to write feverishly with Link peering curiously over her shoulder.

It figures that he couldn't read a word of what she was writing. When she was finished she set down her writing utensil and looked expectantly to Link, "So? What do you think?"

Link skimmed the paper from top to bottom to confirm that he couldn't read any of it and declared with as much enthusiasm that the young girl before him normally displayed, "Perfect!"


	9. Chapter 8: Little Spies and Prying Eyes

**Chapter 8: Little Spies and Prying Eyes**

The wind rustled the leaves of the trees gently like a caressing hand. Two girls hid among the many branches of a tree making sure all people were out of sight.

"Okay Aryll. We're going to do some spying," Tetra announced to her temporary pirate associate, glancing up at the child who was crouched on a higher branch. Tetra was sure that she'd figured it out, but she could still be wrong, so they had to check before they went charging in demanding that a random stranger help them.

"Spying? You mean like what Big Brother did in that fortress to save me?" Aryll wondered, cocking her head to the side like a curious puppy.

"Yes….err, kind of. The difference between our spying and what he was doing is that _we_ won't get caught," Tetra explained.

"Is it safe to get down now, captain?" Aryll asked. Tetra nodded and together the girls carefully climbed down without incident.

"Alright. They went that way so we'll head that way too," Tetra said pointing past the spring in the direction that the boys had retreated to.

"But aren't we supposed to stay hidden?" Aryll questioned, confused.

"Yes, so if you have to say something whisper. Although….." Tetra trailed off an idea forming, "I could send you in there…"

"And let them see me?! That's crazy!" exclaimed Aryll clutching her telescope to her chest and shaking her head at just how preposterous it was.

"Kid, there are two types of spying. With one you stay hidden but with the other you're in plain sight and actually talk to the person you're trying to get information out of. Of course, we'd have to make up a story for you. How about…" Tetra suggested tapping her chin thoughtfully, "…you got lost and can't find your way home. If he asks where your home is just say that you were traveling with your family and got separated and that you come from far away."

"Isn't that lying?" Aryll replied.

"Yeah, so what?"

So, lying is bad!"

Tetra rolled her eyes, "Not when it's for a good cause. Plus it's not a _complete_ lie. You are lost and can't get home. You do live far away and you're technically separated from your family because we don't know where your brother is. It's not like I'm telling you to change your name or anything. Just tell a few half-truths. It's like acting without the other person knowing that there's a show going on. Don't worry; you won't be alone. I'll be the hidden spy and you'll be the hands on spy."

"Why do we even have to spy? Can't we just ask err…what is it we want to know?" Aryll asked making it quite clear the she still didn't fully support Tetra's idea. Although she did like acting. She had spent many days on Outset putting on puppet shows with her brother for the other inhabitants of the island.

"We need to know if he's your brother's counterpart, and if he is then we're one step closer to getting home, got it?" Tetra explained, exasperated.

Oh…okay then. I still don't like spying though. Why can't you be the hands on spy instead?" Aryll pouted.

"Because I'm a pirate. Hands on spying isn't my thing. I'm stealthy and quiet and you're not. Besides, no one ever thinks anything of a cute little girl like yourself. Now go," Tetra ordered shooing the other girl off toward the village, "I won't be very far away even if you can't see me. Act like it's a game, and for Nayru's sake don't tell them you're spying!"

Tetra trailed Aryll at a safe distance while making sure to remain hidden the whole time. When Aryll finally confronted their target Tetra was too far away to hear much more than bits and pieces of the conversation.

What she did catch sounded normal enough. They must have been at the question and answer game for at least ten minutes before the teen invited Aryll into a literal tree house which Tetra found intriguing. Seriously, who constructed their house in a tree?

Tetra was about to dart out into the open, but to her dismay she noticed some children playing a game a little ways away. Well, that wouldn't do at all. She bit her lip pensively scanning the area for something could use to her advantage.

That's when she noticed the targets set up on the trees and tree branches across from her hiding spot. She smiled devilishly. Perfect. Hopefully this would scare the kids off. Tetra bent down and plucked a reasonable sized pebble up off of the ground. Using her dagger she carved a crude skulls and cross bones symbol into it. Then she repeated the process with a few other rocks.

Next the pirate gathered her ammo into her left hand and took meticulous aim with her right before letting the pebble fly. It wasn't enough to shatter the wooden target but it was enough to make a satisfying _clack!_ and shake it.

This had drawn the children's attention away from their game and to the eerily swaying target. Tetra threw another, this time hitting a higher one right next to the bulls eye. The next hit home lower and to the left. By now she could tell that she had succeeded in freaking them out to an extent.

"LINK!" the children called frantically, running over and standing apprehensively at the bottom of the tree house ladder. Was that the boy's name? Link? Now that if that wasn't a clue then she didn't know what was. Not to mention it was kind of bizarre. Two people with the same name that look incredibly similar. Something was definitely amiss. Tetra frowned. She hadn't anticipated the children to call for assistance. She'd hoped that they'd just run away.

The boy appeared at the doorway, but Tetra's view was obscured by leaves. He asked the kids something along the lines of what's the matter? And the children responded with overdramatic yelling and pointing at the targets accusingly as if they had committed some unfathomable crime.

He gave them a skeptical look but jumped down from the mini deck, completely ignoring the ladder, and approached the targets. He shifted through the bushes and other various plants for a while before coming across one of her ammo. She cursed under her breath. He wasn't supposed to see that! This just wasn't her day.

The other Link flipped the rock over in his hands, and she saw his eyes widen. He quickly scanned the area for the threat. Tetra sank deeper into the foliage ready to run if she had to. Thankfully Aryll came out just then asking what was wrong.

_"Thank you Aryll," _Tetra thought, grateful for the distraction. Now was her chance to sneak away inconspicuously. After all the plan hadn't totally backfired. Now she had proof that he was who they were looking for. All that was left to do now was approach him in the right way, but getting caught at the moment definitely wasn't the best first impression.

Staying low to the ground and dropping the remaining ammo behind a bush, Tetra slinked away as the conversation was taking place. Her foot came down on a twig and snapped it. Tetra gritted her teeth and winced silently cursing the broken stick for getting in her way and swearing that she'd get it back for its treachery one day. She dared a glance to see if anyone had noticed. Unfortunately they were all staring at her hiding spot. Darn that stick. It probably thought that this was funny. Well, she wasn't laughing.

The boy started towards her hiding spot, but Aryll tried to pull him back claiming it was dangerous. However much Tetra appreciated her companion's attempt she knew that it was in vain, and as quickly and silently as she could, while avoiding everything that could be classified as a stick for she would not be thwarted again, she left the premises.

The older Link was already running after her with Aryll in tow. Tetra scrambled up a tree for what she estimated to be the third time that day, and hid among the branches and leaves just as the pair reached the clearing. A glint of metal caught Tetra's eye, and she realized for the first time that the boy had a sword and shield strapped to his back. If he was anything like the Link she knew then those weapons weren't just for show.

"I'm sure it was nothing. Probably just an animal. Let's just go back," Aryll urged attempting to persuade the older boy to leave by tugging on his arm.

"I know I saw something though. You should go back just in case," the boy replied looking around distractedly. From her perch Tetra had a great view of the area. Aryll and the other Link were in the middle their backs to the dense woods behind them. She noticed a monster that resembled a bokoblin but slightly different in a way sneaking up behind Aryll and the boy. In one hand it held a spiked club and in the other a horn. Tetra's eyes widened as she predicated what would happen if she didn't do anything. She was at a crossroads of indecision. After analyzing the situation quickly in her head she came to a terrifying conclusion. There was no way that she could possibly warn Aryll without revealing herself as well. For once the young pirate captain was at a loss for what to do.


	10. Chapter 9: Indirect Postal Service

** Chapter 9: Inconvenienced Indirect Postal Service **

Inside the protective walls of Castle Town people streamed by in the streets, flowing as smoothly as a gurgling stream in the summertime. Meanwhile in a quaint residence in the southeastern section of town, Agitha, a self-proclaimed princess with a unique appreciation, which was seen by others as more of an obsession, for insects, sealed off an ornate envelope after tucking the letter she had just finished composing inside. She scribbled the name of the recipient, as well as the destination, on the front in big bold strokes. Once she finished this she dropped the quill she was holding and stood up, turning to the young hero that was also in the house.

"Now we just have to deliver it to the Postman!" Agitha announced, sounding as if delivering a letter was the most exciting thing in the world and should not be delayed any longer.

"Great," Link replied with strained emotion, somehow feeling that this was going to involve more than just going up to a guy and handing him a letter, "Where's this postman usually at?"

"Well, he's everywhere!" Agitha exclaimed flinging her arms up to emphasize the range of the Postman's whereabouts. Then she abruptly let her arms fall to her sides, "Except when you need him of course. Then, it's as if he disappeared into thin air, and then tracking him down is almost as hard as catching a flying bug with your bare hands! Oh, but don't worry Lil Grasshopper because here in Castle Town there's a sort of indirect postal service. The Gorons manage it."

"Gorons? Why Gorons?" Link wondered tilting his head to the side as if that would help him see the logic behind it.

"A couple reasons. For one, they have families back in Kakariko that they are always sending mail to. They have an easier time of finding the elusive Postman whenever it's convenient for them unlike most people. I guess it's kind of like a sixth sense," Agitha shrugged, "Another reason is because the Postman hides out in the bar, or so I was told, and there's a Goron that goes there all the time also and usually sees him."

The duo stepped out of the bug-filled house and straight into the late morning rush, Link having smartly slipped the letter into his Delivery Bag so it wouldn't get damaged on the way. Agitha ran ahead of him leaving Link to fend for himself in the river of people. When he finally managed to get out of the small side street, and into the market area that had been so tempting to him before, and still was, he found his acquaintance leaning over the counter of an unmanned shop.

"What are you doing?" Link questioned the younger girl as he approached her from behind. She sighed heavily in disappointment before straightening her posture and facing him.

"The Gorons I usually ask to deliver letters for me aren't here. They're always here. I wonder where they went," Agitha explained seeming a tad upset. She quickly brightened again, "It's not a big deal though. They aren't the only Gorons in Castle Town. In fact, there's a whole house of them in the central square! It's just a bit of a longer walk, but that's fine. Let's go!" Agitha grabbed Link's wrist and dragged the boy through the lively crowd of people, not seeming to be fazed anytime she bumped into someone.

Link allowed himself to be dragged to a building as people pushed past him and his companion. Agitha released her grip on Link and pulled open the door…..or rather, tried to that is. When it didn't work she used two hands to tug on the door, hoping it was just stuck but to no avail. The door was locked.

"Hey Agitha, look," Link spoke up pointing to a sign that looks like it had been hastily hung up on the door, as if the person that had put it there hadn't been planning on departing in the first place.

Agitha scanned it and huffed," Closed? They're never closed." The girl then removed her hands from the door handle and bowed her head in thought.

"Aren't there any more Gorons in Castle Town? Didn't you mention that there was one in the bar?" Link inquired.

Agitha's head snapped up, her slight period of depression gone, "Yes! Yes there is, but…" Agitha trailed off looking to the side guiltily, "they don't allow kids in the bar since the drinking age here is sixteen. Neither of us are sixteen, so we can't get in."

"Do you have any friends that are sixteen or older that can take it for us?" Link wondered, sincerely hoping that she did.

"I have Grasshopper, but that's out of the question because this letter's purpose is to get him here. I have Goron friends, but they aren't here either," Agitha explained her face downcast. The two mulled it over for some time before the younger girl unexpectedly took Link's hands in hers and exclaimed quietly, "Oh yes! I just remembered! One night I was looking for bugs, because some only come out at night, and I was wandering around town. I found a firefly and chased it. It flew all the way to the bar, and I almost had it when the bar owner's pesky cat came out of the shadows and ate my poor bug! Then it jumped on top of some big crates that were stacked on top of each other and disappeared into a window! Since then, I've noticed that the window is usually always open. If it is then we can sneak in, we'll be able to get on those crates with two of us, and deliver the letter!"

"Okay, where's this bar located?" Link asked completely nonchalant about sneaking into a forbidden place since he'd done it so often by now.

"This way! Follow me!" Agitha cried in excitement pointing before shooting off in, what seemed to Link to be, a random direction. He followed obediently and soon found himself being led down two flights of steps until they stopped in an enclosed nook. He immediately spotted the crates that had been in Agitha's woeful story and the window with its shutters wide open beckoning them to come inside.

"Over here Lil Grasshopper!" Agitha called, her voice hushed. Link hurried over to where the bug-obsessed girl was standing. She motioned to a crate beside her and moved out of the way as Link pushed it against the other crates.

"Yay! You're so strong Lil Grasshopper!" Agitha quietly cheered, clapping her hands together in elation. Link waved off her compliment and helped her climb onto the first crate before climbing onto it himself. They scaled the second row of crates with ease and Link was about to head in through the window, but Agitha stopped him.

"Let's keep an eye out for Telma's cat. I know it sounds silly but I'm sure that that cat has more intelligence than others. So let's just be careful in case she tries to warn her owner, okay?" she warned him, seeming to relive the moment when the cat had murdered her precious bug.

"Okay, are you ready or do you want to wait out here?" Link questioned, unsure of whether or not bringing along such an enthusiastic girl was such a good idea.

"Are you kidding? Of course I'm going with you!" Agitha exclaimed as if the matter had been decided from the start. Link nodded and the two progressed through the open window. Link surveyed the attic. The first thing that caught his attention was the three ropes stretched across the floor connecting the wooden floor to separate sections of the room. The second thing that piqued his interest was all the pots. There must have been at least twenty of them. They'd have to be extra careful not to disturb any and alert the people below of the intruders.

"Be careful with the pots," Link whispered before he crept forward cautiously. Agitha nodded and tip-toed forward behind Link. He peered over the edge. Below he could see that the bar was bustling. Boisterous drinkers laughed and shouted for another round while others, more sober than their buddies, chatted. No sign of a Goron was evident to Link's dismay.

"Hey! Lil Grasshopper look!" Agitha indicated a man in one of the darker corners of the bar. Most of the man's hair was obscured by a red cap. He appeared to wear a white uniform with a touch of gold incorporated into it. The corner was dimly lit, making it nearly impossible to make out many more details.

"That's the Postman himself! Doesn't he look weird?" she giggled quietly, "Now we don't have to worry about finding a Goron." Link had to agree with Agitha that the Postman was strange, although not quite as strange as the flying Postman he met in the Realm of the Ocean King. He motioned for his partner to follow, already devising a plan in his head to get the letter to the Postman. As the pair stepped to the right, being careful to avoid any jars, a Persian cat with a maroon ribbon tied fashionably around its neck, blocked their path.

"Shoo kitty!" Agitha whispered while making a shooing motion with her hands and bending her knees slightly, "We're on an important mission!" The cat seemed to ignore the young girl's words and took a threatening step closer to the children, a low growl rumbling from within its small furry body.

"It's just a cat Agitha. Let's just go around it," Link suggested grabbing said girl's hand and doing just that. The feline stood there, staring them down with obvious displeasure at their presence. It hissed before turning and trotting off nonchalantly in the opposite direction.

"I'll keep a lookout in case it comes back. You get the letter in the Postman's hands," Agitha ordered. Link nodded and left the girl at her post while he stepped up to the edge of the floor cautiously. He removed the letter from his Delivery Bag and made to step onto the thick rope that was stretched across the rafters. Before he could, however, a large crash sounded making him jump and stumble back. He swiveled around to glare accusingly at Agitha, sure that the overenthusiastic girl had managed to break something. To his surprise it wasn't Agitha. She had her mouth covered with one hand, eyes wide as she stared in shock at the left side of the attic. Link shifted his disapproving gaze to the other side just in time to see the culprit. The same cat from before was sitting calmly, a smug look painted onto its pushed in face.

That's when Link noticed the absence of sound in the room. It was as if someone had flipped a switch thus muting all sound.

"It was probably Louise again," a man's voice from below predicted.

"Nonsense, she's right here," a woman's voice huffed. That's when Link noticed the cat's sudden disappearance. The sneaky thing had slinked away so quickly Link hadn't even seen it! Agitha looked at him hopelessly, mouthing something along the lines of what do we do now?

They could turn back and abandon the mission, but on the other hand they really needed the letter delivered as soon as possible. If the letter he had clutched in his right hand didn't get delivered then he may never find their friends. If they remained silent then the citizens below will be even more curious to find out what had caused the disturbance. Then they would be forced to retreat and turning back wasn't an option. An idea was blessed upon him right at that moment of something he could try, although it was a gambit that could either help or hinder their cause, but he figured it was better than doing nothing.

"Meow," Link imitated as best as he could. Agitha shot a strange glance his way but otherwise remained silent.

"Another cat probably sneaked in through that window you always keep open," a different women's voice, sounding younger than the other, stated.

The older woman sighed in annoyance and replied, "Guess I'll have to go find the ladder then and shoo it out myself. Return to your food there's nothing to worry about." The volume soon grew back to a loud enough one to conceal their hushed voices.

_"Well, that blew up in my face. Good job, Link,"_ Link silently congratulated himself sarcastically.

"Oh no! We haven't gotten the letter delivered yet!" Agitha lamented, quietly.

"It's fine. We just have a time limit now. Watch out for that woman instead and warn me if she gets close. I'll worry about getting this to the Postman." Link whispered back holding up the letter. Agitha nodded, a determined look on her face, before hurrying over to the edge of the rough wooden floor and peering over it. Link got in his previous position and successfully stepped onto the rope. He balanced on it precariously and walked forward with his arms extended to maintain his balance. When he got to the middle he crouched down slightly so he had the corner that the Postman was nestled in in sight.

The young hero then took aim holding the envelope horizontally so it would cut through the air better and launched it. His aim had been perfect and the letter floated down gently into the Postman's lap. He watched as the Postman leapt to his feet and proclaimed, "A letter from the sky? It must be a message from the goddesses! I must deliver it at once!" The Postman then abandoned his drink, not noticing as it tilted and spilled its alcoholic contents on the table, and rushed out of the bar.

"Lil Grasshopper, hurry she's coming!" Agitha alerted him. Link stood up slowly and rushed back to the actual floor as fast as was possible without falling. Link pulled Agitha back from the edge.

"Did she see me?" Link wanted to know. Agitha shook her head. A wooden ladder clacked against the attic floor, and they overheard the woman telling someone to hold it steady for her. Link and Agitha ran to the window and slipped back outside. Link dropped down to the ground and assisted Agitha in doing the same. They pressed their backs up against the stack of crates and tried to shrink into the shadows as much as possible. Not a moment later Telma's head popped out of the window and she scanned the area. Seeing no sign of an animal of any kind she harrumphed and closed the shutters with a finalizing _bang! _

Link let out a breath of relief and stepped away from the crate a bit, craning his neck to make sure the coast was clear before coming out of his hiding spot completely. When he confirmed that it was he gestured for Agitha to come away from the crates. She relaxed her stiff posture and squealed, "That….was the most fun I have ever had without bugs!" Link laughed and Agitha added, "You make a very believable cat too!"

The duo then made their way away from Telma's bar and the mischievous cat that aimed to destroy them and back to Agitha's abode. When they were standing outside of it Agitha whirled around and said with true felicity streaming off of her words, "That was awesome! Who knew that delivering a letter could be so exciting?! Anyway, you must be hungry by now, right?" Link nodded eagerly. He had been starving ever since they arrived in this strange world.

"It's past lunch time by now. Oh, I know! We could have a picnic! I'll bring the food, so don't worry about that! We'll have it in the garden. Go there and wait with your friends. I'll catch up in a few minutes," Agitha informed him before disappearing into her own house. Link made his way out of Castle Town and back to the garden where his friends were impatiently waiting.

"So?" Medli wondered.

"What took you so long?" Makar demanded.

"I asked Agitha and she said that she has a friend that will escort us to Ordon. I'm pretty sure that that friend is the Hero of Time too. Anyway, she wrote a letter to him. It took a while to track down the Postman but we managed it, and now all we have to do is wait," Link explained, approaching his friends.

"The mail delivery can't be nearly as fast as our system. What are we going to do while we wait?" Medli sighed.

"Well, Agitha offered to give us a picnic. She's putting it together as we speak," Link replied hoping to lift his companion's spirits a little more.

Great! I'm so hungry!" Medli exclaimed and Makar showed his agreement by jumping up and down in excitement, causing the others to chuckle at his antics. The trio didn't have to wait very long for Agitha to appear with a checkered red and white blanket, and a basket laden with food draped over her left arm.

"I'm here!" Agitha announced as if it wasn't obvious enough. She set down the basket, and then laid out the blanket with Medli's assistance. They all then made themselves comfortable on the ground and Agitha divided up the food evenly among everyone, with the exception of Makar who claimed that water would quench his hunger just fine. Koroks did not have the same eating habits as other races. Since they were more or less plants they were classified as autotrophs and only needed to consume water.

Medli and Link, however, accepted the food that was handed to them whether they were familiar with it or not. Agitha helpfully provided information about the food they were skeptical about such as the goat cheese and pumpkin dessert. The rest was pretty familiar but also a rarity on the Great Sea such as the cucco sandwiches, and apples. Despite the unfamiliar food they all enjoyed it nonetheless. Link was the only one that worried after the meal about cuccos potentially attacking them for eating their brethren, but then decided that it was worth it seeing as at least he wouldn't die hungry if they did decide to come for vengeance.


	11. Chapter 10: Ambushed

**Chapter 10: Ambushed **

Just outside the quiet village of Ordon a certain pirate captain was faced with a decision. Tetra swiftly debated whether to take action. The reminder of Aryll being Link's little sister was all she needed to animate her. She was about to jump down but then took into account how far away the ground was and decided that it wouldn't be such a good idea. She knew she was taking too long and had to do something now if was going to do anything. That's when she noticed the vine dangling in front of her like a rope and she got an idea.

Meanwhile the older boy had sensed an unknown presence behind them. Thinking that it was the troublemaker from before, he whirled around to come face-to-face with the monster who had its club raised, poised to strike Aryll down. As if in slow motion he pushed Aryll out of harm's way and drew his weapon quickly. He stepped forward and brought his sword down on the creature and it fell back with a cry. At the same moment that this was occurring Tetra had just jumped onto the vine and swung in the monster's direction. Imagine her surprise when she saw that the monster had been replaced with the other Link. It was too late to turn back now or even slow down. Her momentum wouldn't allow her do anything but sail through the air until she hit something. She crashed into the other Link, who yelled in shock, and they both tumbled to the ground.

Link leaped to his feet and picked up his fallen weapon before turning its shining blade on Tetra, who had her dagger drawn. He rushed at her, clearly interpreting her was a threat and not an acquaintance. Tetra's eyes widened in disbelief and she dodged, the honed metal just missing her by a couple of inches.

"What the heck is your problem?!" Tetra exclaimed, furious that he was attacking her when she wasn't the enemy.

"You attacked me first!" Link retorted, making a horizontal slice which Tetra evaded by back flipping out of reach.

"That was an accident!" Tetra screamed in frustration.

"How do you attack someone by accident?!" Link argued still refusing to listen to her side of the story and swinging his blade her way once again. She met it with her own and the two glared at each other, the older boy's strength clearly winning over the young pirate.

"Guys stop!" Aryll's futile cries rang out around the wood. It was if they were deaf to everything else around them and the only thing that shook them out of their personal dispute was the blare of a horn. The dueling pair turned to look, their fracas momentarily forgotten. The bokoblin-type creature had discarded its horn to the side and raised its club, squealing a battle cry.

From out from behind bushes, trees, and any other concealing object appeared an entire horde of identical looking green-skinned monsters, all equipped with clubs and advancing quickly. Tetra took care of the first one that charged her, relishing in Link's shocked face as he watched her take down the monster that he thought she was commanding. He tore his gaze away from her and to the monsters approaching him, knocking them all back with a single slice. Tetra preferred to concentrate on her own battle rather than watching the elder boy and side-stepped as the monster's spiked club occupied the place she had previously been standing. She attacked the creature while it was open and disposed of it fairly quickly.

Aryll was safely in the middle of the circle that Link and Tetra had automatically formed around her in their fighting the bokoblin-like monsters, their bodies posing as the guidelines to an invisible barrier. Link was having better luck than Tetra in defending the small girl since his blade was longer and sharper, but even with a small blade Tetra wasn't allowing any monsters to sneak past her. She had made a promise and she was going to keep it.

Tetra ducked as two monsters came from either side of her swinging their weapons as if they didn't know how to use them and caused the creatures to injure each other instead of her. She finished the job by stabbing them both before swiping her leg out and successfully tripping the nearest monster. It fell with an irritated cry and she ended its existence quickly. It was strange. Anytime a monster died they disappeared into this grayish, almost black, smoke as if they weren't tangible. They almost looked like shadows. She made a mental note to figure it out later and turned to face the next berserk enemy.

She feinted right and struck home on its left shoulder. This enraged it further and it attempted to hit her, but she attacked it again before it had a chance to do any damage. "You know what, I'm really getting sick of you freaks," Tetra sighed in exasperation, charging another one that met the same fate as its cohorts. She stole a glance over her shoulder to see how Aryll was holding up. The poor girl looked scared to tears but didn't show any sign of one.

Tetra returned her cold gaze on the next foolish challenger. It made to knock her feet out from under her by swiping low with its club, but she leaped over it and kicked the monster in the face. It screamed and stumbled back. When she landed back on her own two feet she rushed the foul creature and stabbed it where its heart would have been if it had one. It faded in the same shadow like substance as the others. She removed her weapon from the air and glanced around searching for more. However, it looked like the enemies on her side had stopped coming. She looked in Link's direction to see him finishing off the last of his enemies. Only two were still standing.

She turned to Aryll who wasn't looking as scared as before. Tetra sheathed her dagger and winked at the kid, glad to see her free from danger.

Aryll saluted, an elated expression on her childish face. In the blink of an eye her expression changed to one of fear and she screamed, "Tetra watch out!" Tetra whirled around just in time to see a club flying at her face. She ducked at the last second and tried to unsheathe her dagger only to find that it was caught in its sheathe. Her eyes widened and she rolled out of the way of the next attack figuring that she'd have to use hand to hand combat now. She leaped to her feet and spun around with her leg extended kicking the creature in the stomach. To her amazement her attack did nothing and the monster grasped her ankle in its hands and threw her up in the air.

Tetra used the time to right herself and landed on the back on the monster. Outraged it tried to throw her off, but Tetra wouldn't allow that. She finally slipped her dagger free and went to cut its shoulder. The monster jerked to the side suddenly and she automatically let go of her weapon to stay on it. It had seemed that this was exactly what the creature had been waiting for and it flipped its club around and aimed over its shoulder, catching the surprised girl in the side of the head.

Unable to hold on any longer Tetra fell to the ground, pain shooting up her left temple. Spots dotted her vision and she almost thought that she was going to faint, but she fought to regain complete consciousness. Despite her condition, she refused to be defeated by a monster as simple as this one and forced herself to her hands and knees. After all, if she didn't get up the vacuous creature would go for Aryll next and she couldn't let that happen. When she finally lifted her head she witnessed the other Link jumping in front of her and meeting the bokoblin-type monster's club with his own sword.

Aryll had picked up Tetra's dagger from where she had dropped it and kneeled down beside her, offering the weapon as if it was a consolation prize. Tetra took it solemnly and put it away. Now she was angry because that idiot had jumped in the way to protect her and by the looks of things he had beaten it already. Protecting Aryll was her job, not his. On top of that he made her look bad. She could've taken care of herself. She wasn't weak but thanks to this fight he probably thought she was.

Tetra got to her feet despite Aryll's protests that she should sit down for a while. Tetra herself didn't see the big deal, the monster had hit her in the side of the head, that was true, but it had hit her with the very tip of its weapon so the spikes hadn't touched her since they were positioned on the sides. Even so it made for a splitting headache which she chose to ignore. Link sheathed his weapon and made his way over to the two girls.

"Are you alright? You got hit pretty hard," Link asked directing his question at Tetra.

"What the heck is this?! First you attack me and now you're concerned for me? What kind of crazy person are you?" Tetra exclaimed in disbelief. She couldn't believe this guy. One moment he was out for her blood and the next he was trying to help her?! She definitely preferred her Link over this one any day. The mood swings are kind of weird. Of course she had them too but at least her mood swings made sense!

"I was confused. I thought that since you came out of nowhere and knocked me to the ground you were trying to distract me so that monster could get to Aryll," Link explained.

"I was trying to protect Aryll! I wasn't planning on tackling you to the ground. I was aiming for the monster. _You_ just got in the way," Tetra replied haughtily, crossing her arms.

"Well sorry," Link apologized, looking mildly shocked to see her standing after the blow to the head she just took, "I can help you heal that bump on your head. There's a spring right over there," he jerked his thumb behind him, "It has healing properties."

"And I should trust you…why?" Tetra inquired raising an eyebrow in distrust.

"You should trust me because I just told you it was a misunderstanding. Besides that, you're hurt and probably going to faint any minute. I'd like to get you to the spring before that happens," Link defended, his tone serious but joking at the same time.

"You don't know that I'm going to faint. In fact, I feel fine! I can endure a lot, not like _you_ would know anything about that," Tetra retaliated.

"Just let him take you to the spring!" Aryll interrupted, grabbing Tetra's wrist in both her hands, "I don't want to see you hurt."

Tetra looked down at Aryll about to refuse and shake the girl off, but when she looked into Aryll's pleading emerald eyes she somehow forgot how to say no. Instead she nodded and the little girl's expression brightened.

"Aryll, why don't you go back to the village and have the other kids show you around a bit," Link suggested turning to the younger of the two.

"But-" Aryll was about to argue when Tetra cut her off.

"That wasn't a suggestion. Do what he says, now," Tetra ordered, the pain in her head warning her that they shouldn't stall much longer unless she wanted to end up on the ground. Aryll bowed her head slightly in understanding and ran off towards the village. Once she was gone Link took Tetra gently but firmly by the wrist and guided her in the opposite direction. She allowed herself to be led by the older boy, masking the pain that was exploding in her head at the moment.

She had gotten extremely good at hiding her emotion. Once her mother died years ago she realized that if she was ever going to become successful she had to conceal her emotions. Emotion had been her mother's downfall and she vowed that it wouldn't be hers. No one knew this of course, which was why she preferred to keep it secret. However, if people knew her well enough, they may be able to see past the mask but only her crew could do that. Her hero was getting close though. She wondered if that was a good or bad thing.

They entered a spring that looked almost identical to Faron's. In fact, if she didn't know any better she'd say that it _was_ Faron's. Tetra knew that it couldn't be though. Faron's spring was further into the wood over the suspension bridge. No golden light shone in this spring's crystal like water.

"So, how does this work?" Tetra asked gazing at the calm water in doubt that it could heal anything. It didn't look special but then again, looks can be deceiving. She knew everything about that.

"You just have to submerge the wound in water and the spring will do the rest. For your case it might be best to lay down. The water's shallowest near the shore, but the further in you go the deeper it gets, so be careful," Link explained, releasing his hold on her.

Tetra walked forward into the spring while Link stood back watching. She went far enough in that the water licked just above her ankles before laying down. As soon as the water hit her wound she gasped in pain. It felt as if she had been clobbered over the head again and her vision swam for a moment. Then the pain began to gradually diminish until it was just a memory. She laid there for a moment as if to confirm that it was over before sitting up. Tetra raised a hand and gingerly touched the left side of her head. There wasn't a bump present and nothing was irritated by her gentle touch. The spring had done its job.

"Better?" Link asked, smiling hopefully.

"Yeah. I'm fine now. How does it work?" Tetra whispered glancing around the spring in wonder.

Link shrugged, "In this spring resides the light spirit Ordona, so the spirit uses its magic to bless the spring. It was silent for a moment before Link spoke up again, "Anyway, what were you exactly doing in a tree?"

"Just hanging around," Tetra said slyly, turning her full attention on the boy a few feet away from her.

"I'm serious, what were you doing? Hiding? Spying?" Link wondered, seeming a bit agitated by the shrewdness of her answers.

She hesitated a bit before responding. If she told him that she had been spying then he probably wouldn't trust her any more than he does now, but on the other hand her entrance wasn't exactly the most reassuring that she meant no harm, so she figured that she had nothing to lose. Besides, they needed his help if they ever wanted to return home according to Faron. "You could say that I was spying," Tetra answered finally, choosing her words carefully. Before Link had a chance to voice his thoughts Tetra spoke once again. This time it was her turn to ask a question, "What's this land called?"

"Hyrule," Link replied shortly about to ask another question of his own.

"Ha! Yeah right. I'm serious," Tetra smirked, "Where are we?"

"I just told you. Hyrule," Link repeated.

"Fine; don't tell me," Tetra shrugged nonchalantly. Things weren't making any sense. He claims that this place is Hyrule but it can't be. Hyrule was drowned years before she was even born. Then again….the Master Sword. Maybe it was Hyrule, but if it was then it couldn't be the future since he would have told her 'New Hyrule' instead of just plain 'Hyrule'. It also couldn't be the present since the land was buried below the ocean in the present. That left the past as the only logical explanation, but _when_ in the past? The Hero of Time possibly? No. It couldn't be. The stories told of a boy, a _child_ that traveled through time. The one in front of her, while he boasted the garb of the ancient hero, he was much too old to be the boy from legend. Maybe they were so far into the past, even further than the legendary hero's, that the stories of it hadn't survived the drowning of the kingdom.

If that was the case then sharing any information about herself, the others, and where they came from would be a huge mistake. She didn't need the past to be freaking out about their precious kingdom being flooded. There was also the chance that he wouldn't believe her and then they'd be labeled as insane and probably wouldn't get any help. If they really were in the past she didn't want to alter anything major since it would mess up the future, err present day… All this time talk was making her head hurt, unless that was the after effects of Ordona's healing methods.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't even realize that Link was trying to get her attention until he grabbed her shoulder and shook her slightly. "What?" she snapped shying away from his touch.

"Are you okay? You spaced out for a few seconds," Link asked, seeming concerned.

"I was just thinking. You should try it sometime," Tetra shot back, standing up and pushing past him. The lack of sleep and food wasn't doing wonders for her attitude. On top of that a growing headache pounded inside her skull. She didn't feel like being interrogated.

She heard him sigh from behind her. "Let's go to my house to talk then. You're obviously in the same situation as Aryll even if you won't admit it," Link said, jogging to catch up with her.

"What exactly did Aryll tell you?" Tetra wondered keeping her eyes trained on the path in front of her. She hoped that the kid hadn't said anything to jeopardize her plan of keeping their origins a secret. Although it occurred to her that Aryll couldn't give away too much since they hadn't told her everything about their journey. All she knew was that her brother battled monsters to save her and then she traveled with the pirates while her brother took care of some unfinished business. They hadn't told Aryll what the "important stuff" her brother had to complete before going home was to preserve her childhood. After all, Tetra and Link had had that snatched away from them. Tetra still took the blame for dragging Link and Aryll into any of it in the first place, but now she had begun to realize that they had all been doomed to this fate from the start.

"She told me that she was traveling with her brother and his friends. Then they got separated and she got lost looking for them. I tried to ask where she was when she got separated but she said that she didn't know. Are you one of her brother's friends?" Link replied.

"I am," Tetra confirmed, nodding once.

"Then do you know where you guys were when you were separated? I could take you there and help you get reunited with them," Link offered.

"Don't you know the meaning of lost? Of course I don't know where we were! I think I made that pretty clear when I asked what this land was called! Even if we did know and you took us there, it wouldn't do any good," Tetra exclaimed, making eye contact this time, "They wouldn't have stayed in the same place that we got separated."

It was silent then the soft wind rustling the tree tops. When they made it to Link's house Tetra scaled the ladder quickly, refusing any assistance from the older boy. Aryll was nowhere in sight so it was safe to assume that she was still taking a tour of the village with the other kids. Tetra gazed around the house. It had a larger interior than she'd been expecting. A large black pot hung over the fireplace and other pieces of furniture were placed off to the right and left sides of the spacious room. A large hand-woven rug hugged the wooden floorboards. Off to the side was a series of ladders and wooden platforms leading to what she assumed passed as the second level of the house.

"What did you say your name was again?" Link wondered shattering the silence between the two.

"I didn't," Tetra stated blatantly, still examining every inch of the house.

"What's your name?" Link attempted once again, rephrasing his question.

"Tetra," she replied glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

"My name's Link, but you probably already knew that," Link supplied, referring to her earlier spying session. Tetra said nothing, just cracked a small smile that she knew he couldn't see.

"Why don't we discuss this when Aryll gets back since it involves her too," Link suggested noticing Tetra's fatigue.

"Really?" Tetra wondered taken aback by the older boy's suggestion. She had thought he wanted an explanation now instead of later but he was proving her wrong.

"Well, yeah. You seem pretty tired and I know the spring's healing magic can do that sometimes. Besides, Aryll said that she'd been lost for a day, two if you count today as one of them. That's a lot of time to go without food and sleep," Link admitted.

"She slept," Tetra defended.

"But you probably didn't. I have the feeling that you stayed awake to keep her safe, judging by what you did today. Get some rest, and then we'll talk," Link motioned to a couch she hadn't even noticed was there. The invitation was too tempting for her to refuse. In seconds she was curled up on the couch, a blanket draped over her, barely able to keep her eyes open. Her deep blue orbs closed on their own and she drifted off to enter a new land. This one, made neither of rolling green fields and mountains, nor waves of blue, but of dreams.


	12. Chapter 11:So Many Q's, Not Enough A's

** Chapter 11: So Many Questions, Not Enough Answers **

Nestled securely inside the branches of a tree rested a well-constructed house. Inside this wooden structure resided the hero of the land who, at the moment, was deep in thought while a young girl rested a little ways away.

Link couldn't believe the day he was having. First Epona went missing so of course he had to find her since he couldn't go to work without his horse. (After his twilight adventure Link had gone home almost immediately. He had thought that he wouldn't be able to after everything he went through, but it turned out that he had nothing to worry about. He had left the village for some time to clear his mind but it didn't take long before he returned. He wasn't the same person he was a year ago, that was for sure, but he wasn't changed so dramatically that it disabled him from returning to his old lifestyle. He didn't help Fado as often as before, but he tried to help out at least three times a week.) Then Colin had seemed bored so Link invited him along on the search. They had gone to the spring where they discovered that Epona wasn't there as they'd suspected. After delving around the area a bit the pair had headed back to the village where Colin went to go find Ilia and Link was about to search for his horse call when a little girl ran up to him looking close to tears and claiming that she was lost. He had to spend the next ten or fifteen minutes interrogating her before letting her enter his home and feeding her since she had obviously been starving.

Next he was called for by the other kids who were shouting over each other, so he couldn't make heads or tails of what they were trying to say. Eventually he got the gist of it and went to investigate and found a rock with a threatening image scratched into it. Then he had to go track the nefarious person or thing down with the little girl, Aryll, in tow. They had been attacked by a Bulblin, and then a random girl came out of nowhere and tackled him to the ground. Since they already had been targeted by a Bulblin it was only natural for him to assume that this girl was in league with them and trying to distract him so the monster could get to Aryll, so of course he attacked the girl who wielded a weapon of her own.

The girl had nimbly dodged all of his attacks and tried to persuade him that she wasn't an enemy. Link had ignored her, thinking that that would be exactly what an enemy _would_ say. The monster that he had stunned had gotten back on its feet while they were in the middle of their quarrel and blown its horn thus pulling its companions forth out of hiding and onto the battlefield.

To his surprise the girl had taken down the first Bulblin by herself without hesitation, proving to him that she had no connection with the monsters. They had fended the Bulblins off together and soon Link had only a couple left on his side when he heard Aryll scream. He had dealt the final blow to the monsters before spinning around on his heel just in time to see the unknown girl on a straggler Bulblin's back and he watched as the monster cleverly flipped its weapon around and the girl's futile attempt to dodge. She had fallen to the ground and the monster had been about to strike her again but he had snapped out of whatever trance had rendered him immobile and jumped in front of the fallen girl that had been struggling to get up. He beat back the Bulblin with expertise, and then turned back around to see the girl already on her feet. He had been surprised to see her standing after that blow to the head she had just taken. Link had then ordered Aryll to go back to the village because he didn't want her to be in any more danger and also because he didn't want the child to see the other girl faint since it may scare her even more. Aryll had been about to protest, but as soon as the girl issued the same order she left at once which Link found a tad strange, but if they did know each other then he supposed it wasn't all that strange that Aryll would do what the other girl told her to.

Link had then taken the girl, who seemed as though she was going to pass out any minute, to the spring and allowed the spring's healing properties to do the rest. They talked a bit and Link found out fairly quickly how much of an attitude she had on her. He had dealt with many different kinds of people on his previous journey so he knew what type of approach to take in dealing with her. Link was going to try be nice to her even if she was rude to him since that had eventually worked with Midna who also had a unique personality.

He had taken her to his house where she was now resting since she still seemed drained of most of her energy. What bothered him though was the fact that she admitted that she was spying. Another thing that didn't make sense was her accusing him of lying that this land was called Hyrule. She had acted strange about the matter and had spaced out for a few seconds, her face unreadable.

He didn't understand where she or Aryll had come from. When he had questioned Aryll about it the only answer he had received was 'far away'. What was that supposed to mean? Another country or a secret section of Hyrule that no one knew about? The latter probably wasn't true. He had explored all of Hyrule and knew all of its secrets. So they must have come from another country but that still posed the question…why? They couldn't possibly be a threat; they were just kids. Maybe they had run away from their country because of a corrupt monarchy. That could be it and if it was then it meant that they had no home. Yet somehow Link didn't think that was the case.

_"All you have to do is be patient,"_ Link reminded himself, _"Once you talk to both of them you'll get a better idea of what is going on." _ Until then Link decided to busy himself by delving for his horse call. Usually he had it on hand but after his adventure he had tucked away all his gear in different places thinking that it would help keep his house cleaner. He proved to be wrong though and he had no clue where most of his items vanished to. He sometimes wondered if there was a place that lost things went when they were lost for so long. As if it was a game of hide and seek and the hider had gotten bored and abandoned the game. Link searched his house quietly so as not to disturb Tetra, but after a while it became clear that his horse call was nowhere to be found leading him to wonder if Ilia had stolen it which would have been ironic since she was the one who had given it to him in the first place.

Aryll entered the house just then and Link abandoned his futile search. "Is Tetra okay?" Aryll asked as soon as she stepped inside, a look of worry on her childish face.

"She's fine," Link reassured the little girl before him, "She's just sleeping right now."

"I'm glad she's okay!" Aryll exclaimed quietly, an elated smile replacing her previous frown. Then she changed the subject, "The other kids showed me around the whole village! It's really pretty, and they even showed me a kitty by the pond. We tried to catch it, but it kept running away from us."

"That sounds like Sera's cat. It's always escaping from her shop," Link explained, "Hey Aryll, while you were walking around the village you didn't happen to see a horse did you?"

"Um….what's a horse?" Aryll wondered a look of confusion painted across her features. Link was surprised. How did she not know what a horse was? They were land animals used for travel especially. How had her brother and friends been traveling? On foot? What could her not knowing what a horse mean? Link decided to humor her though and explained as best as he could.

"So a horse is an animal that people can ride?" Aryll checked once he was finished with his explanation.

Link nodded, "Yes, and I was asking because mine seemed to disappear this morning."

"How can such a big animal disappear?" Aryll wondered.

"Well, disappeared might not be the best word to use," Link admitted, "but the point is that I don't know where she is."

"That's sad…I know! I'll help you look for her!" Aryll said hopefully. Link glanced back at Tetra. She was still fast asleep and he doubted that she'd wake up anytime soon.

Turning back to Aryll he replied, "Sure, if you really want to."

"Of course I want to! You're helping us; it's only fair. C'mon let's go!" Aryll giggled skipping to the door. Link followed after the excited little girl and the pair headed into the village. Colin came running up to them.

"I can't find Epona or Ilia anywhere Link!" Colin reported, "Do you think she left the village?"

"Why would she leave the village?" Link queried raising an eyebrow in question. Colin just shrugged.

"Who's Ilia?" Aryll interrupted.

"She's my best friend. We've known each other since we were little and she's constantly stealing my horse," Link informed Aryll.

"Why does she steal your horse if you're friends?" Aryll wanted to know.

"Well, when we were little and I first got Epona she helped me take care of her. Epona always liked me better though and Ilia got jealous so she stole Epona hoping to strengthen their bond I guess. For years Ilia has been doing this, but usually it doesn't take that long to find them since they're usually at the spring since that was where we had always taken care of Epona together." Link explained.

"Really? That's the reason? I always thought that she stole Epona anytime she got mad at you," Colin chimed in.

Link laughed, "Well, I'm sure that has something to do with it too."

"Did you guys fight recently?" Aryll inquired, attempting to come up with a solution.

Link thought for a few seconds, "No. Nothing that I can think of….I wonder if her father knows anything."

"Yeah! We should ask Mayor Bo! He should know where his own daughter is, right?" Colin agreed. They all made their way to the mayor's house and Colin and Aryll waited outside while Link spoke with the mayor.

Link and Bo exchanged quick greetings and then Link began to explain about his whole crazy morning. At first he was just going to ask about Ilia's whereabouts, but then thought that it'd only be natural to inform the mayor of what was going on in his village.

"Hmm…well I hope you can reunite those girls with their friends but enough of that. Ilia…let's see…she told me this morning that she was going to 'do Link's job for him'. I don't exactly know what she meant by that, but maybe you do?" Mayor Bo responded after Link finished his story.

Link thought about it_, "Do my job for me? Well, my job as hero's done so she can't mean that. What else is my job?"_ Link gasped in realization. "Thanks Mayor Bo! I know where to find her, see ya!" Link exclaimed in a rush before running out the door.

"I take it you know where she is?" Colin wondered as soon as Link stepped outside.

"Yes, and I can't believe that we never thought to check there! It's so obvious!" Link replied, feeling foolish for never thinking of it until now.

"Check where?" Colin and Aryll pressed.

"Fado's Ranch! Come on!" Link broke into a run and made a beeline for the entrance to the ranch with Colin and Aryll hot on his heels. The gate was closed but Link could see Ilia among the few goats in the field.

"Ilia!" Link hopped on the fence and yelled to get her attention.

Ilia smiled and ran over to him, "Hello, Link. How's your morning been?"

"You're sure you want to ask that?" Link sighed, "Where's Epona?"

"Relax," Ilia giggled, "She's in the barn," Ilia motioned behind her towards the large wooden barn. Link couldn't believe that he was so stupid and didn't think of checking the ranch. Although he supposed that it was a good thing that Ilia took over his job for today since it would allow him time to help Aryll and Tetra. He was about to interrogate her about his missing horse call but thought better of it since if Ilia didn't steal it, she wouldn't be too pleased to know that he had misplaced the gift she had made for him.

"I'm doing your job today, so you don't have to worry about it," Ilia announced sounding proud of herself as if she'd just won a race.

"Not that I'm not grateful or anything but why are you doing it for me?" Link wanted to know, thinking it strange that Ilia suddenly wanted to help him out. She'd never shown great interest in his work before.

"Well, to tell you the truth you've seemed kind of stressed lately so I thought that if I did this for you then you'd have more time to relax." Ilia replied. Ilia thought that he was stressed? He wasn't. He was just tenser since his adventure. After all, he did turn into a wolf which heightened his senses, and it's hard to completely relax when he keeps hearing things that he didn't before. Link was still getting used to it, so until he learned to distinguish between what sounds were normal and which were worth investigating he would probably seem stressed to others, or so he assumed by Ilia's answer.

"Who's that cutie?" Ilia wondered, pointing at Aryll who was in the process of showing Colin her telescope.

"That's Aryll," Link began to explain, "She got lost along with another girl and I'm helping them."

"Well, it's a good thing that I'm taking over your job today then!" Ilia proclaimed, "You couldn't possibly help them if you were working." Link nodded his agreement and Ilia shooed him off of the fence. "Stop dawdling here and go help those poor girls. I've got this ranch stuff covered so you don't have to worry about it."

"Thanks Ilia!" Link called over his shoulder as he herded the two kids away from the ranch and back towards the village. He planned to catch Sera's cat before heading back to check to see if Tetra was awake yet. He didn't want to wake her, even if he was curious, because she'd be able to tell him more if she could think straight.

"Okay, I'll be right back. I need to go get something from my house. Wait here, alright?" Link announced addressing both of the children in front of him. They both nodded and Link left. He quickly entered his house and grabbed his fishing rod, glancing at Tetra to confirm that she was still sleeping which she was. He swiftly made his way back to Colin and Aryll.

"What's that fishing rod for? Are we going to go fishing?" Aryll queried, rocking back and forth on her heels.

"Yup. We're going to get Sera's cat back where it belongs," Link answered heading towards the village's water source.

"How will that get the cat back home?" Aryll wondered, falling into step beside him.

"Sera's cat likes fish so it goes down to the pond to catch some. The thing is that it isn't so good at it. Once it gets a fish though, it goes back home," Colin explained. The trio reached the pond. The calico cat was at the edge of the water dipping its paw in and then jerking it out quickly as if the water was lava.

As soon as it caught sight of them if stopped its futile attempts and eyed them warily as if their presence made catching anything a lost cause. Link ignored the cat and stepped up to the edge of the water before casting his line. Colin and Aryll sat down beside him and they waited.

After a few minutes of silence Link broke it by starting up a conversation, "So Aryll, why is that telescope so important to you? You haven't put it down since we met."

"It's my most prized possession. One day when I was really little, five I think, I was playing and a seagull brought me this telescope. I didn't know where it had gotten it and I still don't, but I always believed that it was a gift from my mom. Grandma says that she loved seagulls too. Ever since then I've carried it around because I don't want to lose it," Aryll informed him, tracing the hand-painted seagulls with her finger.

Link thought that it was cute that she carried the telescope with her everywhere but he also wondered where her mom was. Aryll had said that she thought it was a gift from her mom, but if it was then wouldn't her mom have left a note with it, and why wasn't her mom living with her? Another thing was a seagull bringing her the 'gift'. Link knew what seagulls were and he had read and saw pictures of them in books, but he had never seen one in person. Where did this girl live that enabled her to see real seagulls? Link decided to question that later since she would probably give him the same answer as before, and instead turned his attention to the small tugs on his fishing rod. A fish was biting.

He had done plenty of fishing on his previous journey and had gotten pretty good at it if he said so himself. Link stood up and tightened his grip on the fishing rod. He waited until he felt a more forceful jerk than before that nearly tore the tool out of his hands and with a quick flick of his wrist he began to reel in his catch. The children on either side of him cheered him on as he wrestled with the fish.

With one another quick flick he had the fish out of the water and squirming on the hook of his fishing rod. The fish flopped to the ground before Link could stop it, and as quick as a bolt of lighting the cat darted in, trapped the fish in its mouth, and ran all the way home.

"Yay; it worked!" Aryll laughed, throwing her hands up in the air in felicity.

"That cat has to learn how to catch its own fish sometime," Link commented.

"But then it's not fun anymore," Aryll pointed out.

"Your right. Then it wouldn't be fun anymore," Link agreed, cracking a smile, "We should be getting back to my house, Aryll."

"Okay," Aryll replied, standing up and dusting herself off.

"See ya Link!" Colin called to their retreating backs. Link returned the farewell with a wave of his hand. The duo walked back to the house chatting along the way about seagulls where Link learned that Aryll was apparently a seagull magnet and had pet them before. When they entered Link's abode Tetra was still asleep. He hadn't actually expected her to be awake yet since it had only been an hour or two.

To pass the time Link and Aryll talked quietly about animals and which were their favorites. Aryll didn't have much knowledge about many types of animals which Link found strange. She knew what pigs, seagulls, cats, dogs, cuccos, and, vaguely, monkeys were, but anything else was completely new and unfamiliar to her. He didn't mind explaining to her what goats, horses, boars, wolves, squirrels, or cows were but he couldn't help but wonder what her lack of knowledge meant.

Link also took Aryll outside and showed her some of his sword techniques which she seemed amazed at just like the other kids. By then it was past lunchtime so they returned to the treehouse to eat only to find that Tetra was beginning to stir. She opened her eyes slowly and blinked a few times to clear her vision before sitting up.

"You're awake, finally!" Aryll exclaimed running over to Tetra and jumping onto the couch next to her.

"Settle down. It's not a big deal. You act like I was sleeping forever," Tetra mumbled.

"Well, it's past noon now. We were just about to have lunch," Aryll informed her.

"Lunch sounds good," Tetra replied, stretching her arms above her head.

"We can talk about your situation during lunch," Link suggested and then quickly added, "If that's okay with you."

"Sure," Tetra shrugged, "Before, after, during, it's all the same." Five minutes later they were all seated at the wooden table and eating a lunch of bread and pumpkin soup.

"So why don't you two start by telling me what the problem is exactly. I know that you got separated from your companions, but is that all or is there more to it?" Link began.

"We all got lost first and then we got separated," Tetra answered shortly before taking a bite of bread.

"How many of you are there?" Link questioned.

Aryll counted on her fingers before proclaiming, "Five including me and Tetra!"

"Let me simplify this for you," Tetra sighed, "If you're going to help us then you better be committed because this is going to take more than just reuniting us. Are you still on board?"

Link glanced back and forth between the two girls. He didn't know them and yet he felt obligated to help them. He figured at first that that was because of his hero blood but now it felt that there was another reason. The thing was that he didn't know what that reason could possibly be. Nonetheless he was going to help them no matter what. He felt as if saying no would be a sin.

"Of course. I promise," Link said seriously.

Tetra nodded as if she'd been anticipating his answer and continued, "Alright then listen closely. Before Aryll and I stumbled upon this village and you, we were called to Faron's spring where the light spirit there told us a riddle that would help us get back home."

"What was the riddle?" Link wondered, even more interested. Faron, or any of the light spirits for that matter, rarely talked to anyone. The fact that he had called upon these two girls to speak with them definitely couldn't be ignored and most likely meant something significant.

"It went like this:

_'Search for your counterparts; Find a boy in green and princess in gold,_

_ And reach deep into the light._

_ Reawaken the servant who dreams, _

_ Then enter the castle within,_

_ And bless an ancient life with light._

_ A path shall be opened._

_ Only then may you have the means of returning home,'"_ Tetra recalled.

"Wait, didn't the first part go-" Aryll began to protest, but Tetra glared at her and she shut her mouth immediately.

"What I just said is word for word, _right_ Aryll?" Tetra asked, her tone inferring that yes was the only acceptable answer.

"Yes! Sorry I was remembering a different riddle I heard somewhere else. What you said is right," Aryll replied quickly, nodding and turning her attention back to her food.

"Okay, well, _search for your counterparts_ must mean search for your friends, and the next part sounds like you need to find me, which you already have, and Princess Zelda which is the princess of Hyrule. I don't really understand why he would tell you to find me and the princess specifically though." Link speculated. However, this piece of information _did_ explain why Tetra had been spying earlier.

"I don't know. Maybe because he knew that you would be willing to help us," Tetra predicted, "What do you think the rest means?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure, but now I think I know why we need the princess," Link said sheepishly.

"Why?" Aryll wondered, tilting her head to the side, "Oh yeah! And you said Hyrule so you mean like in the stories right?"

"What stories?" Link wanted to know.

"Like the Hero of Time! That's my favorite story!" Aryll cried in elation, "Do you know it?"

"Yes, I know it," Link confirmed, "And we are talking about the same Hyrule."

"Really?" Aryll exclaimed. Then a look of confusion passed over her face, "But wait that-"

"Aryll, keep your mouth shut the adults are talking," Tetra snapped, cutting the little girl off mid-sentence, "So….you can take us to see the princess right? She could help us track down our friends too," Tetra said leaning back in her chair a bit and directing her question at Link.

Link snapped out of his own jumbled thoughts and back to the conversation, "It's not that simple. She's the Princess of Hyrule meaning she rules the whole kingdom. It's hard to get an audience with her since she's so busy. It could take anywhere from two days to two months with her crazy schedule. Even with my title it's still not definite."

"And what, pray tell, is your title?" Tetra inquired, rolling her eyes.

"Hero Chosen by the Gods," Link declared proudly.

"And they chose you why?" Tetra asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Why don't you ask them that?" Link countered, "Anyway, the point is that it won't be easy to talk to the princess no matter who you are and what you've done."

"Well, if you're a hero like you say you are then she has to give you an audience. Did you save the land before, or is your title meaningless?" Tetra queried.

"It's not meaningless. I really did save the land and she knows that, but running a kingdom is still more important than taking time to talk with someone. She and I have sent letters back and forth, but that's been the most that we've done since we last saw each other about a year ago and we had to eventually stop because she became so busy," Link explained.

"What did you have to save the land from?" Aryll spoke up, daring a glance at Tetra as if to confirm that her question wouldn't cause her to be another target of Tetra's fury. When the other girl didn't make any move to defy her she tore her gaze away and focused on Link.

He was about to refuse to answer, but then thought better of it. If he appeared to be open about his information then maybe Tetra would open up more and he'd finally be able to get some answers about where she and Aryll came from. "About a year ago a strange twilight covered the whole land and I had to go around restoring the light," Link answered, making sure to include just enough information for them to get the gist of it. No one but Zelda and Midna knew about his ability to change into a wolf during his journey and he preferred to keep it that way.

To his dismay, Tetra remained silent, her arms crossed as if barricading any information and preventing it from coming out into the open. Link wondered why she was so guarded, but he knew that questioning her about it wouldn't help him know any sooner. After all, Midna had been the same way when he had first met her, and she began to gradually open up as they progressed through their quest. Hopefully the same thing would happen with Tetra.

"Still, it can't hurt to try," Tetra pointed out, returning to their former discussion about the princess.

"We can try," Link admitted, "I'm just not promising that it'll be quick."

"We can get to meet a princess?!" Aryll exclaimed, jumping up in excitement.

"Yes, now sit down before you knock something over," Tetra ordered and Aryll complied, the smile on her face unwavering.

"We'll have to wait until tomorrow though. Ilia has my horse and we'll need a horse if we're going to be traveling all the way to Castle Town," Link added.

"Who has your what?" Tetra asked, utterly confused.

"Ilia is my friend and a horse is a big animal that you can ride," Link explained as simply as he could. He had a feeling that when they found their friends that he would have to explain what a horse was again since, so far, Tetra and Aryll were both clueless about the animal's existence.

"Can't we go get your horse back from Ilia? This is really important!" Aryll pleaded.

"Alright, let me go get her. Do you want to come with or stay here?" Link asked, striding over to the door.

"I wanna go with you!" Aryll exclaimed, "Come on Tetra! Come with us!"

"Fine," Tetra sighed, standing up and allowing the little girl to drag her over to the door where Link was waiting patiently.

They left the house and descended the ladder. They were just about to step into the village when a voice shouted from behind them, "Mr. Link! WAAAAAIT!"

Startled by the sudden noise they all whirled around to find that the source was a gaunt-faced man dressed in a white and red uniform with a bunny symbol on his crimson hat and brown sandals on his feet.

He ran up to Link, handed him a letter, declared, "Onward to mail!" and then ran back the way he had come.

"Um…what the heck was that?" Tetra stated, speechless.

Link laughed, "_That_ was the postal service."

"Can't the postal service ever be normal?" Aryll whined.

"Describe normal Aryll and then it can be a possibility." Tetra told Aryll. The little girl opened her mouth to do just that but quickly closed it, realizing that she didn't know what to say. Meanwhile Link opened the envelope and slipped the letter out. He unfolded it and began to read:

_Hello Grasshopper_,

_It's been awhile hasn't it? I hope you're doing well. I feel bad asking this of you since you've already done so much for me, but recently I have made some new friends. There are three of them, and they are very nice. The problem is that they are looking for their companions, but they don't have any way to travel except for by foot. I was wondering if you would be willing to escort them where they need to go since I can't do it myself. I hope this letter reaches you as soon as possible and you make haste to Castle Town. Meet me in the garden. _

_The Bug Princess, Agitha_

_"Three of them? Looking for their companions? Could it really be Tetra and Aryll's friends?"_ Link thought to himself, _"If it is then that makes things a bit easier. Although it seems a little too good to be true._ _It couldn't hurt to check though." _Link turned to the two girls at his side, "Small change of plans. I'm going to go to Castle Town by myself, wait let me finish," Link said, holding up a hand when Tetra opened her mouth to protest, "because this letter is from a friend of mine that says that she met 'three new friends' that are looking for their companions, and she needs me to go there to escort them wherever they need to go. I'm thinking that these 'three new friends' could be the ones that you're looking for."

"Could be," Tetra admitted, "but why do you have to go by yourself? Can't I come?"

"I'm not completely sure that it is them, and even if it is, there wouldn't be a lot of room. A horse can only carry so much weight. The more people it's carrying the slower it is. It'll go faster this way and while I'm in town I'll see if I can arrange an audience with the princess." Link explained, "If it is your friends then I'll bring them back here and we'll decide what to do next together."

"How will you know that you've even got the right people?" Tetra wondered.

"Simple. I'll just ask them if they are looking for two girls. One by the name of Tetra and the other Aryll," Link replied. He was ready for any excuse Tetra could concoct and throw at him. He wasn't going to allow her or Aryll to come with him outside of the village after that Bulblin attack. They were safer here.

"I can defend myself," Tetra stated as if she could read his thoughts.

"Yeah, because that worked so well last time," Link smirked.

She glared at him, her eyes crackling like blue fire, "You're asking for it. I'd watch where I step if I were you because you're on thin ice." Link wasn't scared or even a bit intimidated by her. He was older than her and besides that he had faced the wrath of countless monsters and even Ganondorf. This girl didn't strike fear into him at all. In fact, he found the whole display a bit comical.

"Look, my decision still stands. You two are staying here and I'm going to hand you both over to Ilia, so she can watch you." Link said calmly, beginning to walk into the village and towards the ranch.

"I'm fourteen! I don't need a babysitter! I can watch Aryll myself," Tetra retorted following him with Aryll in tow.

Somehow Link doubted that. "I never said anything about a babysitter," he defended himself.

"You said 'someone to watch you'. It's the same thing!" Tetra huffed, crossing her arms.

"What I meant was someone from the village that you could stay with until I get back. I don't know how long this will take exactly," Link amended. They reached the ranch and Link shouted for Ilia once again. He watched as his childhood friend stopped petting a goat and looked over her shoulder.

"Hey, Link!" Ilia called back, waving a greeting.

"Ilia, I need you to do me a favor!" Link yelled, returning the greeting with a wave of his own.

"Sure, what is it?" Ilia replied, coming over to the gate so they didn't have to shout at each other.

"I need to go to Castle Town and that means that I need-" Link began but Ilia cut him off by holding up her hand.

"Epona, right?" Ilia guessed a sly smile creeping onto her lips.

Link nodded, "Yes, and I also need you to err…keep track of these two," Link said, choosing his words carefully so as not to offend Tetra and gesturing to the two girls beside him.

"Hmm….okay I guess, but I can't just abandon Fado. He needs help with the goats," Ilia pointed out.

"That's okay, have them help you then," Link suggested. He could practically feel the daggers that Tetra was shooting at him at the moment.

"That's a great idea!" Ilia sighed, a look of relief on her face, "Let me go get Epona. Rounding up the goats later will be a bit more of a challenge without her but with all four of us it shouldn't be too bad." She then left to retrieve his red, white-maned mare from the barn.

When Epona was led out of the shelter barn Aryll rushed forward to see, hopping up onto the gate. "Is that a horse?" Aryll exclaimed, eyes shining in amazement.

"Yes, she's pretty isn't she?" Link responded smiling at the little girl's excitement.

"Very!" Aryll agreed, gazing at the animal in awe. Aryll hopped off of the gate as Ilia opened it just enough so she could lead Epona out. She closed the gate behind her just in time to stop a goat from escaping.

"Be careful, okay?" Ilia ordered looking straight into Link's eyes and seeming to search for a promise that he'd really be cautious.

"Of course I will Ilia. I'll be back soon," Link promised. He then mounted Epona.

"Give me a ride sometime, please?" Aryll asked sweetly, clasping her hands together in a pleading manner.

"Sure. When I get back," Link replied, "The offer stands for you too you know." Link directed this last part at Tetra who just rolled her eyes and looked away. He honestly didn't expect her to be nice at this point. He was finding that once she was in a bad mood, she stayed in it for a while. Link waved one last goodbye before prompting Epona into a trot. They cantered out of the village and once they were across the wooden suspension bridge Link let her break out into a run and they were on their way to Castle Town, heading into goddesses only knows what.


	13. Chapter 12: The Hero of Time?

Chapter 12: The Hero of Time?

The sun hung low, suspended in the air like a confused fairy, threatening to plunge into the earth and turning the sky a mixture of pink and pale blue. _'Even the sunsets look a little different here,'_ Link noted. After lunch they had just sat around talking and exploring the garden with Agitha. Now as the sun was setting Link began to wish that they had something to do since it was basically just a waiting game. They had sent the letter and now relied on the Postman to get it to where they needed it to be. He had no idea how efficient the postal service was here since it just seemed to be one man on foot, but he supposed that it worked here somehow.

"Hmm…maybe you guys should come spend the night at my house," Agitha suggested peering at the sky also, "It's getting late and I'd feel bad to have you all sleep outside. I know that it doesn't look dangerous in the daytime, but one evening I saw these skeletal dogs come out of the ground. They didn't look too friendly. It'd probably be smart not to stick around in the garden after dark just in case."

"Skeletal dogs?" Medli repeated, not sounding completely sure that she believed the idea.

"Yup," Agitha confirmed bobbing her head up and down once, "Everyone in town is returning home right about now, so it shouldn't be too hard to sneak you two in."

"Okay, but how long do you think we should keep waiting here?" Link wondered.

"A little longer," Agitha replied, "I told him to meet me in the garden, but he may be stopping for the night if he's already on his way. Traveling at night isn't always the safest because it gets really dark, and it's hard to see much of anything. He will probably arrive in the morning."

Normally Link wasn't impatient, but at the moment he wished that the Hero of Time, if that's who he really was, would just get here already. Traveling at night on the ocean didn't stop any ships, or at least it never stopped him or the pirates, but he supposed that traveling on land with an animal would be a bit different.

They waited for another thirty minutes and by then the sky was almost completely void of light. Agitha seemed to be in a great hurry and rushed to pick up the picnic materials she had brought earlier. She acted as if they didn't get into town as quickly as possible then they would disappear along with the constantly fading light. Link and Medli helped her gather her things, and then they cautiously snuck into town with Agitha leading them.

Medli held Makar since he would make too much noise and draw unwanted attention from stragglers if he were to be allowed to walk. As Link surveyed the market area he realized that Agitha had been right. It had been so lively earlier, but now there were only a few people who all seemed to be oblivious to everything around them.

The foursome swiftly hurried out of the market area and turned into the side street that housed their destination. They made it into Agitha's quaint residence without any incident.

"Why do you have a tree in your house?" Medli wondered pointing to the large plant as if it wasn't obvious enough.

"The real question is why don't _you_ have a tree in your house Medli." Makar chimed in.

"I don't have any need for a tree in my house," Medli replied, "That's why I'm wondering why she has one."

"I have that tree so the bugs feel more at home," Agitha explained, reaching up and allowing a butterfly to land on her outstretched hand.

"See? It makes sense! Everyone should have trees in their houses!" Makar exclaimed.

"Um…no I don't think they should. With you it makes sense since you're basically a tree yourself," Medli then turned around to face Agitha, "and have you always had that tree? Did you plan it out especially for the bugs you would collect someday?"

"Well, to be honest….I've never exactly planned to have it. It was in the house when I bought it. Maybe the owner before me also adored bugs, or they were a gardener. I'm not really sure because I never met the previous owner, but that's what I believe anyway." Agitha answered as the butterfly took to the air once again.

"Besides the tree, what else was in the house when you bought it?" Link asked from the other side of the room.

"Not much," Agitha shrugged, "Just the furniture. Everything else I put in myself." As Link looked around he noticed how many decorations there were. He hadn't had a chance to really take in the decor of her house before since he had only been rushed in and out, but now he had a chance to notice more. It was apparent that a child lived here. From the brightly colored lights that hung from the ceiling to the multicolored jars and books that were cradled in a bookcase, it was obvious that it had all been fabricated by the mind of a child. The stained glass windows gave the impression that they were in some sort of fancy palace. Actually, it looked like something out of one of Sturgeon's fantasy books that he used to adore so much and his sister still did.

Agitha then took the opportunity to show the trio around her home when she caught Link's wandering eyes. After showing and explaining every inch and item in her house she sat her guests down and put together a quick dinner for all of them.

As they ate it was silent. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts. Link wondered how Aryll and Tetra were doing. He hoped that they were okay and nothing too bad had transpired in the time that they had been apart in this very different world. According to Agitha, and from what he could gather from the map he had purchased earlier, Castle Town was the most populated area of Hyrule. There seemed to be some neighboring villages, but other than that there weren't many places that seemed to be inhabited. He hoped that they hadn't landed in the middle of nowhere. The distances looked short on the map, but in reality he estimated them to be about ten times bigger. That meant serious trouble for the girls if they had been dropped even farther out in that grassy wasteland than the others and himself had.

Link quickly pushed that thought out of his mind. He couldn't allow himself to think like that. They had probably landed where Medli had suggested earlier. If that was the case, then they were at least near civilization. '_They must be fine. No. They are fine,' _Link thought silently trying to convince himself that they were safe even though they weren't with him.

Before he knew it, they were finished dinner and in their temporary sleeping arrangement. Agitha slept up in the loft on her frilly canopy bed that looked as if it could belong to royalty, only adding to the dramatic fantasy feel of the house, while Makar was content with sleeping at the foot of the tree. There had been a big dispute between Medli and Link over who got the couch and who got the floor. Link wanted Medli to take the couch since she was a girl and deserved to be comfortable while Medli wished for Link to take it since she claimed that he never got to sleep in a comfortable place, unlike her. After much yelling and the near trampling of a beetle, they finally came to a compromise. Medli would take the couch while Link slept on the floor with the fluffy couch pillows. None of them realized quite how exhausted they had been for they were all out in a matter of seconds.

* * *

The next morning Link awoke to the sound of scuffling feet. He blinked away the fog that clouded his vision to see Agitha heading towards the door holding a parasol in her hands while her basket hung loosely on her left arm.

"Where are you going?" Link whispered so as not to wake the others who he knew were still fast asleep.

Agitha whirled around, "To the garden. I'm going to wait for Grasshopper to arrive. I'll bring him back here when he does and you can all meet each other," Agitha stated, flashing him a smile. Link didn't have time to formulate a response for the more energetic and awake girl turned on her heel and strolled out of the house without another word. Link couldn't believe how fast morning had come. It felt like he had just laid down. He forced himself completely out of the world of dreams and into reality. If Agitha's friend was already waiting at the garden, provided that he moved fast, then that meant that he'd be here soon and Link was barely awake, not to mention that his companions were dead to the world.

Link got to his feet and stretched in his last attempt to rid himself of sleep. Then he set to the task of waking his companions. He stepped carefully over the fence guarding the base of the tree, from what exactly was unclear, and nudged Makar to rouse him while being mindful of the bugs in close proximity. It was difficult to tell Makar's expression since the his leaf-made face was frozen in a permanent frown, like a mask that he couldn't take off.

"Link?" Makar yawned in his high pitched voice, "Why'd you wake me up?"

"Agitha went to go wait for our escort and I'm not sure how long that will take. Just in case he moves quickly, we should all get up now," Link explained quickly, stepping back over the white guardians. Makar used his leaf propeller to fly over them instead of using Link's assistance.

Link strolled over to the couch and shook Medli's shoulder, "Medli wake up," he demanded. The Rito girl groaned to indicate her displeasure in him trying to awaken her from her slumber, but aside from that he received no other response. Sighing, he moved so he could grip both of her shoulders and shook her harder.

This seemed to work a little too well and she awoke with a start, let out a squeal, and punched Link in the face. He reeled back and fell backwards onto the floor covering his throbbing jaw in his hands.

"Oh! Link, I'm so sorry!" Medli exclaimed, eyes wide and her face as red as Valoo's scales.

"Why did you do that?" Link asked, wincing when he moved his sore jaw to speak.

"I don't know! I was having a dream, and I was defenseless, and there was a monster, and I didn't have a weapon, so I was going to punch it, but then I guess you woke me up just as my dream self was doing that, and I ended up hitting you!" Medli rambled on in a rush, "Are you okay?" she wondered concern and guilt slipping off of her words similar to the way that one slips on ice.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Link nodded. It didn't seem broken since he could still talk. He had taken harder hits to his face before thanks to a certain pirate captain and her crew. Compared to that, this was trivial.

"Well, I guess that we know now that Medli isn't a morning person which is ironic since she's a bird," Makar commented.

"I am too a morning person!" Medli argued, "I'm just not very good with people waking me up."

"I'll keep that in mind for later," Link interjected, trying to rub the pain out of his jaw.

"I'm sorry!" Medli apologized once again bowing her head in shame.

"It's okay. It was an accident, but on the bright side, if you ever do really run into a monster then we know that you can throw a decent punch," Link replied, removing his hands from his face.

"Uh…thanks I guess, but I still feel bad for hitting you," Medli frowned, clearly still upset about the course of events that had just transpired. Link waved his hand, indicating that she should forget about the incident since it was over now and he was fine.

Medli smiled apologetically one last time as if to signal the end of her lamenting period and then changed the subject, "So where's Agitha?"

"She left. She went to the garden to wait for her friend that happens to share my name and looks, at least according to her anyway," Link supplied, changing his position on the ground so he was more comfortable.

"She just left? Why didn't she wake us up and take us with her?" Medli wondered, seeming a bit insulted that they'd been left out of the trip.

"I don't know. Maybe she didn't want to wake us because we seemed tired," Link speculated.

"Still, we're the ones that need the help from this guy. She could at least let us wait for him together instead of making it complicated like this. Besides, we still need to get out of here and back to the garden. By the time she brings him back here all the people in town will be leaving their houses if they aren't already," Medli complained, using her hands to emphasize how dire the situation was.

"We'll figure it out," Link assured his friend, partially saying it to reassure himself as well. He wondered if it would really be a big deal if Medli and Makar were seen by other people in town. Agitha didn't react negatively to them, but then again, Agitha was a bouncing ball of energy and a child besides. Seeing an unfamiliar species like a Rito or a Korok wouldn't seem that strange to her. Instead, she'd be fascinated but at the same time accepting of them. She had said yesterday that the guards were still on edge. What could that mean? On edge from _what_? Assuming that he was correct and their escort really was the Hero of Time, then maybe the hero had just banished the darkness recently, and that was the reason why the guards were being so cautious. It was a possibility.

As Link was lost in his thoughts he didn't hear the door open and close behind him. He was only pulled back into reality when Agitha put her gloved hands on his shoulders and exclaimed, "Hee hee! What are you doing on the floor? Come on, stand up!" She forced him to his feet, seeming a bit more peppy than usual, and turned him around to face the door where his emerald eyes fell on a teenager that had clothes similar to his and eyes that were a piercing blue color. The clothes were a bit of a darker green than his own, and he seemed to wear chain mail underneath. What was even more surprising than his clothes was his facial features. To Link, it looked like an older version of himself who's bewildered expression mirrored his own.

"See! I told you that you and Grasshopper looked alike!" Agitha proclaimed proudly as if proving her point had just earned her the title of Bug Queen. No one knew exactly what to say just then. The only one that didn't find the situation awkward was Agitha, and neither boy didn't seem to be able to tear their eyes away from the other.

"You both have the same name too!" Agitha added as if this piece of information would help everyone snap out of their shocked state. Link had expected this and was probably more prepared for the startling resemblance than the older boy was, but he still found himself stunned into silence. Maybe Medli had hit him a little too hard. He figured that the silence was dragging on too long and the longer they dawdled, the longer it would take for them to get closer to finding Aryll and Tetra.

This silent reminder invigorated him. He cleared his throat and began a bit nervously, "So, Agitha's informed you of the situation right?"

His talking seemed to snap the other boy out of his dumbfounded state, and he replied, "Yes, she has, and I might have some information that will help you find your lost companions."

"Really?" Link inquired, even more interested than before, "What is it?"

"Are you looking for two girls by the names of Tetra and Aryll?" the other asked.

Link's eyes widened. How did he know their names? Agitha couldn't have possibly mentioned them in her letter since he had never told her their names."Y-yes! That's exactly who we're looking for!" Link stuttered, stumbling over his words in excitement.

"In that case, I know where they are. At the moment they're at my home village, Ordon," the teenager informed them, "I can take you directly to them whenever you're ready."

Link was a bit taken aback that their educated guess had been right. It didn't really matter though. They were finally going to reunite with their missing friends!

"We're ready now!" Makar squealed in ecstasy from the ground, surprising their savior and causing him to drop his eyes to the floor to come to rest on Makar's hopping form.

"Yes, take us as soon as you can, please," Medli added, stepping up to stand beside Link. When she spoke the older boy's eyes turned on her. Link could tell that the teen was trying to think of what to make of the two unfamiliar races before him.

"I know that we're not really what you were probably expecting…" Link started trailing off.

"Uh…to tell the truth, not particularly," the elder boy laughed sheepishly.

"I'm not quite sure how to explain our resemblance, but I can explain my companions-" he attempted before Makar's high-pitched voice cut him off.

"We can speak for ourselves!" Makar cried indignantly.

"Err…right. Sorry," Link apologized backing down and letting his wooden companion take the spotlight.

"My name is Makar," the little Korok introduced himself, while the older boy stepped a bit closer to get a better look, "I'm part of a race called Koroks! We're the children of the forest and we are watched over by the Great Deku Tree. Every year we have a ceremony where I play my viola and a few select Koroks leave to spread the seeds that the Deku Tree produces."

"And my name's Medli," Medli bowed, drawing attention to herself and blushing slightly due to her shyness, "I'm a member of a race of people known as Rito. As you can see we're seen to most as half bird, half human. My tribe are messengers, sort of like your postman around here, except instead of running we fly."

"Interesting," the teen nodded, clearly intrigued by both of their descriptions of their species.

"Oh wow! You guys never told me all that! That's amazing! Makar, I bet you see lots of bugs in that forest you live in, and I wish I could fly! I had a dream that I could fly once, but I suppose that it's not the same thing." Agitha gushed, "Oh, but how can you fly without wings?"

"I have wings," Medli replied defensively, "You just can't see them."

"What good are wings that you can't see?" Agitha wondered.

Link jumped into the conversation before Medli could respond, knowing that whatever the girl beside him would say next wouldn't exactly be classified as polite, "Anyway, are the girls okay?"

"They're fine," the older boy confirmed. Link sighed in relief. He felt as if a heavy weight had just been lifted from his shoulders.

"If you're all ready to leave then we can go now," announced the teenager, taking a step back in the direction of the door.

"You're leaving already?" Agitha pouted, but the frown didn't stay on her face for long, "That's okay, just remember to visit, and don't be worried about the people out there," This she addressed to Medli and Makar, "It's still early so there aren't that many, but you should leave soon if you don't want to be caught in the morning crowd."

"Thanks," Link said acknowledging that he had heard and appreciated her advice.

"Let's go!" Makar exclaimed impatiently.

They made their way to the door and bid the bug obsessed girl farewell before stepping out into the street. Agitha had been right. Not a person or guard was in sight at the moment. The trio followed their slightly familiar escort out of the side street and into the small market area where a few shop owners were busy getting ready to sell their wares. To Link's relief, they didn't seem interested in a few passerby and didn't even spare them a glance.

When they stepped into the garden and made their way down the stone steps Link was surprised to see the big animal before him. _'This must be a horse,'_ Link concluded in his head.

"What is that?" Makar wondered aloud from his place in Link's arms.

"She's my horse;her name's Epona," the owner of said animal answered shortly. They then spent the next few minutes petting the horse and letting her get to know their unfamiliar scent before anyone even got on the animal.

"Can we all fit?" Medli wondered, doubtful that Epona would be able to bear all of their weight combined.

"Don't worry, Epona is strong. She can carry all of us," the teen reassured her, "I think the best way to do this would be to have all of you in front of me, so who wants to get on first?"

"I will," Link volunteered, handing Makar to Medli. He followed the older boy, around to the side of the horse and was surprised when he was lifted up, as if he weighed absolutely nothing, onto what their escort had explained to them earlier was a saddle.

The position felt strange, but he didn't complain. His left hand began to burn and when he glanced down he noticed the Triforce symbol pulsing. Link quickly covered it with his other hand, hoping that no one else had noticed. No one had seemed to register his discomfort. His look-alike had turned away to help Medli get on. Before she was lifted up Medli passed Makar back to him. By then, his hand was normal again for which Link was grateful. The teenager sat Medli on the saddle a bit differently than he had Link, so she had both of her legs to one side instead of one leg on each. Lastly, their escort swung up behind them.

"Okay, I know that you guys have never ridden a horse before, so we'll start slow, and then we'll gradually get faster. You don't have to do anything. Just hold on, okay?" the older boy explained. Link and Medli both nodded to show that they understood. Epona was turned around and began to walk forward. Having an animal moving under you was very different from the way the ocean moved as Link was finding.

Their escort made the horse begin to trot which bounced them a little more in the saddle. He felt Medli tighten her grip slightly on his shoulders to keep her balance. He imagined that riding the way she was had to be harder than the way that he was positioned. There wasn't much conversation. Link, Medli, and Makar were too busy gazing at their surrounds and trying to stay on the strange animal. This time Link was taking into account the wind and noticing that it was almost nonexistent. He supposed that wind didn't matter here quite as much, if at all, since they had animals like Epona to carry them around. The fact that they naturally had animals that big and strong was amazing. The biggest animal he could think of from back home was the lone pig that now existed on his home island. It was certainly big enough to ride, but it'd be stupid to try, and there wouldn't be much of a point to it since it didn't move fast and the island wasn't excessively vast in the first place.

Without warning the horse that had previously been so calm made a noise that Link's ears registered as alarm. The great horse stopped in her tracks and stood up on her hind legs eliciting a yell of surprise from Link, who leaned forward to attempt to stay on the panicked animal, Medli gripping his shoulders hard, letting out a small frightened yelp of her own. Makar had wriggled out of Link's arms and flew up to safety which gave Link an idea. Medli seemed to have the same one and released his shoulders from her petrified grip. She flew up as quickly as was possible and Link grabbed onto her ankles, allowing himself to be lifted from the saddle and into the air. They glided a short distance away from the horse, Medli struggling to keep them both airborne, and landed on the rough grass in a heap. Makar plopped down beside them. Link quickly got to his feet and whirled around to see what had happened to the other boy. The horse still seemed skittish and was prancing a little ways away shaking her head as if she was confused by her previous actions.

The other boy was just sitting up from the ground, shaking his head as if to clear it. Link assumed that when the animal had reared, he had been flung from the saddle instantly and onto the ground. Link hoped he was okay and was about to go over to check when Medli exclaimed, "Link, lookout!"

He turned back around to see two lizard-like creatures. They had dark green and red scales and yellowish stomachs. They were both at least a head taller than him with glassy yellow eyes and long snake-like tongues. The closest foe boasted a gleaming silver machete in its right hand. Armor made of some type of metal covered its left hand up to its elbow. Dangerous looking spikes were positioned on the end of its tail clearly there for more than just a menacing fashion statement. The second enemy had the same features except it wore its armor on the opposite arm and held its weapon in its left hand instead. Link rolled out of the way as the nearest once attempted to strike him with its weapon. He drew his sword and shield, ordering Medli and Makar to get back. They both complied, more than happy to stay out of a battle.

Link focused on searching for a weak point. He made a half-hearted slash at the nearest monster's side. It used its right hand armor as a shield and Link's sword bounced right off. He then tried attacking on the other side to see what the creature would do to defend itself. He got his answer when metal clanged on metal. Link removed his weapon, not wanting to take any gambits and get his sword locked into his enemy's. As his last experiment Link aimed for the back of the monster and was almost sent flying by the tail but jumped over it and got out of range just in time.

His experimenting now complete, Link had a plan. He twirled his sword in his hand and charged the first monster acting as if he was going to strike its front. The lizard-like creature sneered at him and blocked Link's attack by placing its armor arm and sword in an x formation across its chest, thus ignorantly falling into Link's trap. He leaped up into the air and flipped over its head with his sword extended, successfully slicing the creature's head and causing it to screech in pain and annoyance that it had been tricked.

Refusing to be misled again, the creature decided to lash out at Link who had just landed and was about to try the same trick with its partner in crime. The monster whipped its tail around so fast that Link didn't have any time to react and he was sent flying through the air. "Okay, I didn't see that one coming," Link muttered to himself as he picked himself up carefully from the ground. The monsters were swifter than he realized. He has to be more careful. Nothing seemed broken. Thankfully the over-sized lizard's tail spikes had missed him, but regardless, its tail was still powerful enough to leave a bruise or two.

Link used his shield to block the next two attacks that assailed him and then thrust forward with his sword, catching the one monster off guard and striking its stomach, sending it stumbling backwards. He then angled his body so he was facing the next enemy. He side jumped out of the way as it brought down its machete in a clumsy attempt to split him in two, and Link took advantage of the opening that the monster had conveniently left for him. The lizard-like monster broke contact after Link was able to land three or four decent hits.

He back flipped out of the way of the next attack and tried to strike its exposed side, but he wasn't fast enough and it leaped out of range of his sword. Link bit his lip in frustration and charged the weakest one, or at least it should have been the weakest one if he had been keeping track of them correctly. He jumped up and flipped over its head from behind, while narrowly dodging its tail that it was using as a whip. The monster screamed in its dying breath and Link glanced over his shoulder just in time to see it dissipate into thick black vapor that faded quickly into nothing, leaving no sign that the creature had ever even existed.

The remaining monster didn't seem to be too happy about its buddy's demise. It let out a throaty growl to show its displeasure and charged Link once again. He turned his full attention on this single enemy, knowing that with one monster out of the picture this could only get easier as long as he didn't make any foolish mistakes. The lizard-like being used its armor covered arm as an offense rather than a defense and almost nailed Link in the jaw with an upper cut. Link just barely avoided the new move which seemed to infuriate the creature even more, like a spoiled child that kept being denied a toy.

Link reverted back to his original plan of attack, but the lizard-like warrior had seen this coming and raised its metal coated arm to deflect the now predictable move thus protecting itself from Link's sharp blade. Once Link landed back on his feet he spun around and held up his shield just in time as the monster used its curved weapon to try to land a decent hit on the young boy. To Link's surprise, the creature didn't stop once its weapon connected with his shield. Instead, it kept bombarding him with attack after attack. If it kept this up, Link wouldn't be able to keep his shield in the correct defensive position. He could already feel his right arm getting weaker with each hit as the shock was absorbed by the shield and reflected into his arm.

That's when he noticed that the monster's large form was blocking out the sun. If he could just angle the shield correctly then the light would be able to reflect off of his mirror shield and into his assailant's beady eyes. Link shifted his position slightly, nearly falling over by the force of the creature's next attack. He gritted his teeth and kept going slowly getting his lizard resembling foe to move out of the way so the sun could shine its blinding rays on his shield. Almost...but not yet. He inched a little further to his left and…there! Link tilted his mirror shield up and to the right slightly. His aim was immaculate. His enemy screeched and covered its eyes in an attempt to spare them from the harsh light that was reflecting off of Link's defensive weapon. He lowered his shield and took the opportunity to hack and slash at the monster's exposed stomach for all he was worth. It let out a gargled cry before disappearing in the same shadow-like substance as the other creature. Link relaxed his tensed posture and let out a breath of air he hadn't even realized he'd been holding.

"Link! Are you alright?" Medli asked running over with Makar in her arms and their escort on her heels.

"I'm fine," Link replied, sheathing his weapon and replacing his shield on his back, trying to slow his breathing. That fight had been more intense than he'd anticipated.

"Sorry I didn't help. First I was knocked off of Epona and by the time I was able to stand back up and calm Epona down I witnessed you slay one of those Lizalfos. I was kind of shocked that you could fight so well. I meant to help you, but I guess I ended up just watching," the elder boy admitted.

"That's okay, it wasn't that hard," Link waved it off not wanting to dwell on the subject, "I'm just wondering what they were doing all the way out here. I mean….Medli, Makar, and I were out here before and we didn't run into any threats. I find it strange that there'd be monsters walking around now."

"I'm not sure either. We should get going though, just in case more decide to show up," the older boy urged them, leading them back toward the horse that was now calm as if nothing had happened.

"She won't rear up like that again right?" Medli wondered, worry creasing her brow.

"No, I think she'll be fine as long as no monsters spook her like that again," came the reply from their escort. He helped Medli get on and then mounted the horse himself. They then continued on their way to Ordon Village praying for no more precarious interruptions and with Link reminding himself that with each step that the noble animal beneath him took, brought him closer and closer to seeing the familiar faces of his lost companions. There was still one question he didn't yet have answered and was reluctant to ask. Were they really traveling with the Hero of Time or was the kind teenage boy directing the horse someone else entirely? At first he had been positive that his prediction had been correct, but as time went on he became more and more unsure. Link decided right then as he sat atop Epona, a creature he felt that he should know but didn't, that once they were reunited with their friends he would ask the question. For now though, he'd keep it locked away in his mind, ready to use when the time was right.


	14. Chapter 13: Too Many Links of Defiance

Chapter 13: Too Many Links of Defiance

Secluded behind the many branches, leaves, and underbrush of Faron Woods, laid the quiet village of Ordon, and in this village a young girl sulked, sitting and gazing out a window as the first rays of morning peeked out from behind the trees. This window happened to belong to the house of the mayor who had kindly agreed to allow Tetra and Aryll to stay the night once he learned that his daughter had been put in charge of them temporarily. Everyone within the house was fast asleep, except for Tetra of course. She was quite used to waking up extra early in the morning, and it had become automatic after numerous years of doing so. Usually, she'd awaken to the cry of seagulls and the slap of waves striking the side of her ship. Waking up to the chirping of birds and the rustling of treetops didn't feel natural. Even the sunrise looked different from home, something she thought would stay the same no matter where she was.

Tetra let out a quiet sigh of exasperation. She knew that they needed Link's help if they were to ever return home to their ocean, but at the moment she wondered if she could tolerate his presence. He irked her. He acted as if she was just a mere child and knew nothing. She was far from a child. That title had been severed from her name when her mother had died and became official when she took on the task of finding New Hyrule. Tetra agreed that she was many things, but a child was not one of them. She'd lost that innocence years ago.

Overall, yesterday hadn't been that bad, especially since she refused to do many of the tasks handed to her. The only time she recalled helping was at the end of the day when they had to get all of the animals, which were apparently called goats, into the barn for the night. The animals were more stubborn than she'd expected, and so it took a lot of yelling and running around to get them all where they belonged. The only reason why she had even agreed to helping was because her normal everyday job entailed much yelling and screaming and giving orders. While the goats didn't compare to her crew, she hoped that yelling like usual would help her mood improve.

She supposed that it had since she hadn't snapped at anyone last night. To her surprise, she'd even managed to keep her cool when they were eating dinner and Aryll had knocked a glass off of the table, thus shattering it into pieces and spilling milk all over the floor. She had apologized for Aryll's clumsiness and cleaned up the mess herself which wasn't like her, but Ilia and her father wouldn't know anything about that. Aryll had noticed her odd behavior but dropped it after an hour or two for which Tetra was grateful. The little girl could be extremely annoying at times.

Tetra was growing impatient. She hated waiting. Normally, she wouldn't be fazed by it, but ever since that incident a little over a year ago when she had been forced to wait under the waves by herself, she couldn't stand just sitting around. It made her feel exposed. Even though she had a weapon now and she wasn't alone in the room, it still didn't quench her anxiety.

"Hey….Tetra, what are you doing?" Aryll yawned. Tetra turned her head slightly so she could see the bed. The little girl sat there rubbing her eyes.

"I'm just looking," Tetra replied returning her gaze to the window which she thought would be more appropriate for a castle.

"Looking at what?" Aryll wondered. She hopped off of the bed and climbed up onto the window seat that Tetra was sitting on.

"The sun," Tetra answered shortly.

"My grandma says not to look at the sun too long. You could go blind," Aryll warned the young pirate.

Tetra shot a glare at Aryll, "That's not what I meant idiot!" Tetra sighed then, lowering her voice and turning back to the window she muttered, "I'm watching the sunrise."

"You don't have to be so mean!" Aryll pouted, propping herself up against the wall and stretching her legs out in front of her. Tetra didn't respond and continued to stare out the window.

"Do you think Big Brother and the others are okay?" Aryll asked in a small voice.

"They're fine," Tetra said without tearing her gaze from the glass.

"How do you know?" Aryll queried, tilting her head to the side.

"I just do," Tetra sighed, becoming agitated. Why did little kids have to question everything?

"Oh…" Aryll trailed off turning her attention to the window as well. It was silent for a few seconds before Aryll spoke up again, "Um, do you think that maybe…when we get home can I…..come with you and Big Brother? Please?"

Tetra was surprised at the request. Why would she ask to come along now? The answer was obviously no. It was too dangerous and there was no telling when they would find what they're looking for. "No," Tetra stated, "You're not coming. Just because this happened doesn't mean that you have any more reason to come with us. If anything it enforces the reasons why you _shouldn't _come with us."

"No fair!" Aryll exclaimed, "I want to come with! You and Big Brother left me behind last time! When we get home this time you can't leave me behind again!"

"We can, and we will," Tetra shot back turning to face the younger girl, "and stop being so loud. You'll wake everyone downstairs."

"I don't even know what you're looking for. What's so important anyway? Why can't I help?" Aryll wondered, lowering her voice to a whisper.

"Are you always like this in the morning?" Tetra questioned, raising her eyebrows.

"Always like what?" Aryll asked, confused.

"Always annoying and full of questions," Tetra supplied stretching her arms over her head.

"Hey! I'm not annoying!" Aryll defended, "You're just moody."

"That's true, and moody people don't enjoy playing twenty questions so shut up," Tetra ordered.

"Okay, fine. I'll just ask Big Brother when he gets here," Aryll shrugged nonchalantly.

"You'll do no such thing. Listen Aryll, you have to be careful what you say here. This place isn't like home," Tetra said seriously.

"Why?" Aryll inquired innocently.

"Remember when we were talking to Link and then Hyrule was mentioned?" Tetra began. Aryll nodded and the pirate captain continued, "Well, we really are in Hyrule. Even though the Hero of Time was a story, it was a true story and so there once really was a Hyrule."

"But if Hyrule doesn't exist anymore then how are we here?" Aryll interrupted.

"I was getting to that. Let me finish talking before you start asking questions," Tetra huffed, exasperated.

"Sorry," Aryll apologized, "I'll be quiet now."

"As I was saying, I think that when we got teleported we somehow ended up in the past. At first I thought that we were possibly sent back before the time of the legendary hero, but it seems that Link already knows about him which is strange. He couldn't know about the Hero of Time because that would require him to be able to see into the future and he can't. Since that's the case, if he knows the legend and he isn't the Hero of Time then there must have been some hero that came immediately after the Hero of Time which would be Link. The point is, that the people here can't know that we come from the future. No talking about the Great Sea, boats, pirate ships, beaches, seagulls, islands, or anything else pertaining to our home, and most importantly, no talking about how Hyrule doesn't exist or was flooded. That'll only lead us into more trouble."

"I…uh…kind of already mentioned seagulls," Aryll replied, a guilty look on her face.

"YOU WHAT!" Tetra exclaimed forgetting to be quiet and covering her mouth with her hands as if this gesture would take back her loud outburst. Both girls listened and didn't dare to move a muscle. After a minute of suspense Tetra lowered her hands to rest in her lap. She didn't hear any noises that indicated that someone had awoken downstairs. That was something that she had noticed about the other inhabitants of Ordon. They all had rounded ears instead of pointed. Maybe that affected their hearing? Either way, she was thankful for it. She didn't need Ilia or the mayor awake at the moment. She had important things to discuss with Aryll.

Tetra took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking again, "Why would you mention seagulls? Did he question you?"

"I mentioned them because he asked about my telescope and no. He didn't ask any questions," Aryll answered truthfully.

Tetra let out a sigh of relief. She was glad that it hadn't been a major issue, but she suspected that Link was curious even though he didn't say anything about it. They would have to be more careful. "That's fine then," Tetra nodded, "but don't talk about it anymore. Don't talk about your family or anyone's title."

"Title? Like, yours is pirate captain?" Aryll asked.

"Yes, don't say that or even mention pirates around Link or anyone else from here. Got it?" Tetra confirmed.

Aryll nodded to show that she understood. Silence fell between the two like a sheet. Aryll lifted it when she spoke, "Hey, do pirates like making deals?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Tetra queried skeptical of what the little girl sitting across from her was planning.

"Well, how about we make a deal," Aryll suggested, moving into a more comfortable position.

"What kind of deal?" Tetra inquired, suspicion never leaving her eyes.

"If I can pass whatever pirate test you want to give me, then you have to take me along on your quest when we get home. If not, then you can leave me again. Deal?" Aryll questioned, sticking out a hand for the pirate captain to take.

"The test can be anything?" Tetra checked.

"Yup," Aryll smiled, her hand unwavering.

"Fine, you got yourself a deal," Tetra said, accepting Aryll's outstretched hand by grasping it in her own, "I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into. We haven't shook to seal the deal yet. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Positive," Aryll replied narrowing her eyes to show just how serious she was. The two girls then shook hands and broke contact. Tetra contemplated all the tasks and challenges she could pose to her younger companion. It couldn't be anything too harsh or dangerous since she was supposed to be protecting Aryll and not putting her in harm's way. It also had to be something that could be done in the village and doable but nearly impossible.

"So, when do we start?" Aryll wondered, eager to begin and prove herself.

"Right now, come on," Tetra smirked getting up and hopping off of the window seat. Aryll slid off too.

"Get your telescope and put your shoes on," Tetra instructed as she shrugged on her blue vest and began to slip her own sandals on her feet. Aryll complied right away, not wasting a moment. Tetra affixed her wallet and dagger back onto her waist and then grabbed Aryll's wrist, putting a finger to her lips as a signal to the other girl to be quiet. Aryll copied the gesture with her free hand, to display her comprehension. The two girls crept down the stairs while being mindful of where they stepped. Thankfully, the steps didn't seem to be that old and were quiet for the most part. When they made it to the bottom of the stairs Tetra stole a glance at the bed where she knew Ilia was sleeping. The teenage girl was fast asleep and didn't show any signs of waking anytime soon.

_"Good,"_ Tetra thought smiling to herself, _"Let's hope she stays like that for a while." _

The two slipped out of the house unnoticed and Tetra led Aryll far enough away from the building that they could talk in private.

"Alright, this test is going to have multiple parts to it. If you pass all of the challenges I give you here, then I'll let you try Niko's obstacle course at home. Keep in mind that if you fail even one challenge here, you can't try the second part. If you do, by some miracle, manage to complete the first part of the challenge then you would move onto part two once we get home, but you'd have to pass that also. If you fail the second part then you fail the test," Tetra explained, hands on hips.

"Why does it have to be so complicated?" Aryll complained.

"You're lucky I'm giving you a chance at all, and besides, the deal was I get to test you in any way I see fit. You should've known that it wouldn't be simple so stop complaining and deal with it. If you don't like it and want to back down then you automatically lose," Tetra chastised her companion.

"No! I'll do it!" Aryll cried in a rush, not wishing to be disqualified before the test even started.

"Good," Tetra nodded in approval, crossing her arms over her chest, "Your first test is to…get up there," Tetra announced pointing to the purple tinged roof of Sera's shop across the bridge.

"Um…okay…" Aryll said, a bit hesitant.

"Wait, I wasn't finished. You have to get up there using….a cucco," Tetra added indicating the animal that was minding its own business a little ways away from the pair.

"You're not serious," Aryll pleaded.

"Of course I am. You play with seagulls all the time. I would think that you'd be happy to fly," Tetra sneered.

"Cuccos don't fly; they glide, and you have to jump to make them carry you. There isn't a place high enough for me to jump and land on the roof," Aryll explained.

"That's your problem, now either get going or I'll assume that you quit," Tetra commanded.

"I don't quit!" Aryll insisted. Tetra just gestured to the cucco nearby as if to say, 'Well? I'm waiting.'

Aryll handed her telescope over to Tetra and marched up to the cucco determined to complete her mission. As soon as she reached down to catch the animal however, it hopped out of the way in a flurry of feathers. Aryll put her hands down just in time to prevent herself from falling over. Tetra watched with amusement as she witnessed the younger girl's attempts to capture the cucco.

"Is…there a…..trick to it?" Aryll panted, plopping down on the ground after at least ten failed attempts to capture the bird and looking to Tetra for advice. The pirate captain, however, had none to give, and settled for shrugging her shoulders in a casual fashion.

Aryll jumped to her feet. "I will do it this time!" the child declared defiantly. With those few words she got back on the ground to try a different tactic. She crawled up to the animal who was mindlessly pecking the ground, probably delving for food was Tetra's guess, and pounced on it, successfully preventing escape. The cucco flailed, feathers falling down like rain, as Aryll lifted it over her head in a more comfortable position.

"Hee hee! Look Tetra! I-" Aryll paused to readjust her grip on the panicked bird, "got it!"

"That's isn't your goal. Stop messing around, and find a way to get on that roof," Tetra glowered refusing to praise an accomplishment so minuscule.

Aryll's beaming face dimmed a little at her words, but her determination still stood tall and unwavering. Tetra watched as the little girl ran across the small wooden bridge with cucco in hand and made her way towards the side of a house that appeared to be built into half of a tree. That's what it looked like from her angle anyway. For all she knew the house could have been constructed just underneath the tree.

Aryll made her way up the slope to higher ground. She positioned herself so she was facing her destination and then jumped. As she drew closer it became apparent that she wasn't going to make it. She was too low which was exactly what Tetra had been hoping for. When Aryll touched down on the ground a few feet away from the house. Tetra watched as she ran back to the slope to try again. This time the child, with some difficulty, climbed up onto a narrow piece of the tree and climbed up even higher.

Tetra was impressed that Aryll hadn't given up on it after her first attempt failed, but she supposed it was to be expected. Aryll is Link's little sister after all, so she obviously shares the same sort of defiance and determination as her brother, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it didn't make Tetra's job any easier.

When Aryll leaped off this time she had a better height advantage and managed to land on the goal that Tetra had set for her. Tetra ran over the bridge to meet the little girl and help her get down since she had dropped the cucco in her euphoria.

"Jump to those and climb down these vines," Tetra instructed pointing to the fragments of land that were reaching toward the sky, acting as natural platforms. Aryll followed her companion's instructions and was on the ground and ready to receive her next task in less than a minute.

"So? How'd I do? Did you see how high I flew?!" Aryll cried, seeking Tetra's elusive praise.

"Yeah yeah, you did okay," Tetra waved her hand dismissively, "Are you ready for your next challenge?"

Realizing that this was all the praise that she was going to earn from the pirate, Aryll replied with enthusiasm, "Yes! What is it?"

"There are targets set up near Link's house. You have to knock them all down," Tetra announced, beginning to head for the next challenge destination.

"What? That's it? Knock them down? There's no crazy rules like using blades of grass or water?" Aryll wondered, jogging to catch up with Tetra.

Tetra stopped in her tracks, "Yes, that's it. Why would I ask you to use grass or water to knock them down?" Tetra asked, confused.

"I don't know. After the last challenge I wasn't so sure. You had me use a cucco when all I had to do was climb up some vines and jump," Aryll pointed out.

"Well I had to make it challenging somehow!" Tetra exclaimed, annoyed with the child beside her, "For you, knocking anything down is challenging enough."

"Oh…" Aryll trailed off and they began walking again. Then after a few seconds she realized that it was an insult, "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"What do you think?" Tetra retorted, "It doesn't matter, we're here. Now get to knocking things down."

Aryll dropped the matter knowing that she had no hope of winning against Tetra and silently assessed the task she was to complete. There were a total of five targets. Tetra leaned against the ladder leading up to the porch of Link's house as she watched Aryll look over her new challenge.

"Do you have arrows or something that will make this easier for me?" Aryll inquired, turning to Tetra who replied with a shake of her head.

After ten minutes of pondering and throwing rocks that fell too short Aryll came to the conclusion that she would have to physically climb up to where each target was located and use her hands to hit them down. Tetra found this mirthful seeing as the small rocky ledge that separated Aryll from the targets was mostly smooth so finding hand and footholds was difficult. If Aryll had been taller and stronger she could have grabbed the edge and hoisted herself up onto the vegetation that grew there. Since she was small it took Aryll another ten to fifteen minutes to get up onto the ledge. Knocking down the lower targets didn't take long, but the targets set up high in trees was more challenging. Even so, this did not deter the child's determination and she found a way to knock them all down after a good half hour.

Tetra frowned. If Aryll kept succeeding then she'd lose and she couldn't accept defeat in this matter. She had to come up with something Aryll would never do, and to make sure she had to be certain that it was something that her brother also wouldn't do unless it was life or death. As Aryll made her way back Tetra bowed her head in thought and the perfect "challenge" came to her. She couldn't believe that she hadn't thought of it before! The task itself was simple, but it tested moral.

"Okay Aryll, are you ready for your final challenge?" Tetra asked, lifting her head up and looking straight into Aryll's eyes.

"Bring it on!" Aryll exclaimed, eager to get on with the test after her two victories.

"So eager aren't we?" Tetra teased, "You don't even know what it is."

"Come on! Tell me!" begged Aryll.

Tetra shrugged, "Okay, this one is simple. All you have to do is go into Link's house, go into his basement, I'm sure he has one somewhere, take any rupees you can find stored there, and bring it back to me."

"Wait…why? Link's helping us and stealing is wrong besides," Aryll objected.

_"Got her,"_ Tetra smirked to herself, "_Now all I have to do is reel her in."_

"So, you're saying that you won't do it?" Tetra feigned shock.

"N-no…Aryll stuttered but changed her answer after Tetra smiled in success, "Well, maybe…but…it's-I…."

"Where did all of that eagerness run off to?" Tetra wondered, looking around as if she could spot the fleeing emotion if she looked hard enough.

"Well, it's just…uh, how do you know he even has any money in his basement?" Aryll questioned attempting to drag out the topic and talk Tetra into changing her final task.

"Well, I know that you and your brother have, or at least had, one hundred rupees hidden under your porch and since Link is the counterpart of your brother then he must also have something of value stashed in the earth," Tetra reasoned.

"How did you know about that money? It was a secret! Big Brother and I were given that when we were little and we hid it there so one day when we gathered enough rupees we could go off on an adventure of our own, and you're telling me that Big Brother took it?!" Aryll cried, upset.

"Of course he took it. Right before his whole adventure started to find you I saw him crawl under his porch and come out with an orange rupee in his hand. He tried to put it away as quickly as possible, but I had seen it anyway. At the time, I figured that I'd be nice and let him keep it. Turns out he used it to buy a sail and without that sail he would have never been able to continue traveling to get you back, so stop whining. In case you haven't noticed, Aryll, things have changed since that day. Whatever you two were planning to do with the money doesn't matter now. Those plans no longer exist. Besides, we're on an adventure now, aren't we?" Tetra explained, not caring how harsh her words sounded because they were the truth.

"How do you know that the plans don't exist anymore? Big Brother said that one day he would come back for me and we'd leave Outset together," Aryll argued.

"Look Aryll," Tetra sighed. This was getting off topic and she didn't need Aryll to start crying because her brother's words don't mean what she thinks they do. "Are you going to do it or not? I'm not changing the challenge, so either accept it and do it or say no and walk away."

"No, I won't do it," Aryll answered.

Tetra smiled inwardly and handed Aryll her telescope back. "Good then," Tetra nodded her approval, "However, I've no qualms about taking it myself."

"What?!" Aryll cried, "You're just going to take it? Why?"

"That's what I just said, didn't I?" Tetra replied nonchalantly, beginning to climb the ladder, "I'm a pirate. Do you need any other reason?"

"I'll tell," Aryll threatened, head held high.

"No, you won't," Tetra laughed, "Unless you want your big brother to never come back for you when we find what we're looking for that is. I can make that happen you know."

Aryll was scared into silence. "Come on," Tetra called over her shoulder, "even though you're not doing anything I still need you with me." The little girl wordlessly climbed up after Tetra and they entered the house together. Tetra immediately made her way to the right side of the house since she knew that what she was looking for wasn't on the left. She came to a ladder leading down into the dark. Now all she needed was a light source.

Tetra walked over to the fireplace and lit the tip of a piece of fire wood so it acted as a temporary torch. She ordered Aryll to stay put and descended the ladder. Once she hit the bottom she raised her torch to chase away the darkness that filled the room like spilled ink. She spotted a treasure chest in the back of the room and hurried over to it. She opened the lid with one hand and reached inside, being awarded with a rupee. The exact color was hard to tell in the feeble light.

Tetra closed the chest so it appeared as if it had never been touched and ascended the ladder. When she reached the top she blew out the fire and looked at the rupee in her hand. It was purple. "_Fifty rupees huh? Not bad," _Tetra thought to herself, stowing it away in her wallet.

"How much?" Aryll wanted to know.

"Fifty," Tetra replied, placing the firewood in her hand into the fireplace.

"You should put it back," Aryll advised.

"Nah, I don't think I will. After all, if you want something then you wouldn't just leave it in an unlocked treasure chest. If he really valued it, then he'd have the sense to lock it and keep the key with him. Same goes for all other people I take stuff from, so it's not really stealing, it's finding. Finders keepers, right? It's not like his name is engraved into it or anything."

"Still, it's his house. So everything in it must belong to him," Aryll asserted.

"Oh well, this will teach him to install some locks. See? Everyone wins. I get money and he learns a lesson," Tetra declared, pushing past Aryll and heading for the door. The pair made their way out of Link's house and back to Ilia's. By now there were villagers up and going about their daily business. Ilia was just coming out of her house, a look of worry painted onto her delicate features. When she spotted the two girls she hurried over.

"Where were you two? I woke up and made breakfast. Then I went to go wake you two up and found you gone! My father and I searched the whole house, but we couldn't find either of you, and I just stepped out to ask around the village," Ilia explained glancing between the two girls.

"We were playing around the village," Aryll answered, rocking back and forth on her heels.

Tetra nodded in agreement, "I was watching her the whole time."

"Alright then, but next time please tell me where you're going so I know where to find you," Ilia requested, "Let's go back to my house. I imagine that you two didn't have anything to eat yet?"

They both shook their heads and began to follow Ilia back to her house. As they walked Tetra wondered why Ilia was making such a big deal out of their absence. She didn't think that they would actually try to leave Ordon, did she? There wouldn't be a point. Link was out possibly retrieving their companions right now so the two of them leaving wouldn't accomplish anything. Tetra also didn't see why they had to pass what they were doing by Ilia first. If she wanted to do something, she did it. No interrogations first_. "She was probably just worried for her own skin,"_ Tetra concluded, "_If Link came home and we weren't around he would probably be mad at her for losing track of us."_

They entered the house where they were greeted by Ilia's father in much the same fashion as Ilia and then sat down to eat a breakfast of eggs and toast with pumpkin preserves. Pumpkin seemed to be a theme here as Tetra was beginning to notice. After they ate Ilia allowed them to leave the house but accompanied them then officially introduced Aryll and Tetra to the other village kids. They were then taken to the front yard of Link's house where there was a scarecrow set up that the boys liked to practice on. No one questioned the fallen targets and Ilia set them up again without a word. Tetra noted how it took her less time to set them up than it did for Aryll to knock them down. Ilia and Tetra then watched the boys swing around their sticks and wooden swords while Aryll and Beth played with Beth's doll a safe distance away.

Malo preferred to observe instead of participate. Talo acted big and tough as if he knew what he was doing which, by his performance, he clearly didn't. Colin, however, had some sort of skill with a sword. His stance was off a bit and he needed to loosen his grip and tense up his posture. Other than that he was doing fine for a kid around Aryll's age.

She viewed the children's skills for a while, making mental notes in her head. By the time that Talo had failed to successfully complete the jump attack for the tenth time, Tetra was fed up. Did they learn nothing from their mistakes?

"You're doing it wrong," Tetra informed the children, hands on hips.

"Oh yeah? And what do you know? You're just a girl. Girls can't fight," Talo taunted, twirling his stick around in his hand as if it somehow made him superior.

Infuriated by that remark Tetra stomped over to Talo, "Listen, you little brat, I know more about fighting than you do. I bet you've never taken down a single monster and unlike you, I have a real weapon, but I wouldn't have to use it to split that scarecrow down the middle!"

"Okay fine," Talo shrugged, "If you can do it then prove it. Use Colin's wooden sword. I bet you can't; girls are all talk."

"Not this girl," Tetra retorted, accepting the sword that Colin wordlessly handed to her. Talo and the other boys stepped to the side to give her some room and Tetra took a few practice swings to get used to the feel and the weight of the sword in her right hand. Then she backed up a little, and leaped forward bringing the sword up and back as she was in the air and down hard as she landed. The makeshift helmet that the scarecrow had been wearing was split in two by the force of her attack, as well as the pumpkin itself. She whirled around and twirled the sword in a much more impressing fashion than Talo had.

"And that, is what will happen to your skull if you ever mess with me. I hope you took notes," Tetra proclaimed tossing the sword back to Colin who caught it. Talo just gaped at her in shock while Malo still showed no sign of showing any real emotion which was starting to creep her out.

"Nice one, Tetra," Ilia clapped from the sidelines. Tetra nodded her thanks.

"Could you help me with the other moves?" Colin asked just as she was about to head back to her former viewing spot. She was about to say no, but then changed her mind. She had nothing to do anyway, and she didn't mind helping him since he actually had some hope of learning how to correctly wield a sword.

For the next hour Tetra helped Colin practice the basic moves and sword techniques. He actually improved some so she couldn't have been _that_ bad of a teacher. By that time it was afternoon and the sun had just reached its peak in the sky. Beth and the other children had just excused themselves and headed for home to eat lunch. Ilia suggested that they do the same. Tetra and Aryll were about to follow when they heard the pounding of hooves on the ground. They turned around to see nothing but the sound was steadily getting louder.

"Come on guys," Ilia prompted them.

"Wait, I hear something," Tetra protested.

"Me too," Aryll agreed. A few seconds later Epona and her riders popped into view. Tetra eyes widened when she saw her Link sitting up front with Medli and Makar behind him. She almost didn't believe that it was really them.

"Big Brother!" exclaimed Aryll running up to the horse who was just slowing to a stop.

The teen dismounted and helped Medli, Makar, and Link down as quickly as possible so Aryll didn't have to wait a second longer than she had to. As soon as Link touched solid ground Aryll tackled him in a hug.

"I'm so glad to see you!" Aryll cried as Link picked her up and swung her around.

"How are you? Tetra give you any trouble?" Link joked.

"I'm great now that you're here. Tetra's the same as always," Aryll giggled.

"Nice to see you Tetra," Link greeted, setting Aryll down and snapping Tetra out of her frozen state.

"You too," Tetra winked, raising a hand in greeting, "How was the trip?"

"Minor difficulties, but we made it here in one piece," Link replied.

"Minor difficulties? What happened?" Tetra wondered, coming closer.

"Let's talk about that over lunch," the older boy interjected, then turning to Ilia he said, "Thanks for watching them while I was gone."

Ilia nodded and waved goodbye before heading for her own home. They all entered Link's house and sat on the floor talking quietly while Link quickly prepared something for them all to eat.

"What was the town like, Big Brother?" Aryll wondered as she sat in his lap.

"It was big and crowded," Link answered his little sister.

"We met this girl that had a lot of bugs in her house," Medli added.

"Bugs?" Tetra asked, wondering if she'd heard correctly, "Why would someone have bugs in their house? An infestation problem?"

"Nope. She was having a bug ball," Makar spoke up.

"So, you met a crazy person. Congrats," Tetra smirked.

"She was ten or eleven," Link defended.

"Ah, now that makes more sense. You should have said that in the beginning. Children are crazy," Tetra rolled her eyes.

"I think a bug ball sounds cool!" Aryll chirped, "As long as the bugs don't bite and they aren't spiders."

"They're harmless and I don't recall seeing any spiders," Link reported.

The food was ready just then and the other Link joined them on the floor since there wouldn't be enough room for them all to eat at the table.

"Okay," the older boy began after they had all been eating for a while, "on the way here we encountered some monsters."

"What were they anyway?" Link wondered, "I've never seen anything like them."

"They were some type of lizalfos. I've never seen lizalfos look quite like that before, and I was surprised that you could even take them down at all. How did you manage that?" the teenager asked.

"Um, well, a retired adventurer and swordsman taught me pretty much everything I know about sword fighting," Link explained. He was being careful of his wording as Tetra noticed and appreciated. At least he was smart enough not to talk about everything and anything freely here.

"Still, that was impressive, that couldn't have been the first monsters you've taken down," the teen complimented him.

"I've taken down monsters before. It wasn't that great. I'm sure you can do the same thing," Link replied modestly.

"Anyway," Tetra interrupted drawing all eyes to her, "I don't see why it matters. He killed them, no one got hurt, end of story. Now, I'm sure that Link didn't mention to you the riddle Aryll and I were told we must solve to get back home?"

"You knew a riddle this whole time and didn't tell us?" Makar squealed accusingly, whirling around to face Link.

Link held his hands up as if they would protect him from the accusation, "No! I don't know any riddle! How could I possibly know a riddle that they know? I was with you guys the whole time."

"No, not him Makar!" Tetra yelled in frustration, "I meant him!" she pointed instead at the elder boy.

"This is confusing," Medli commented.

"Maybe for your bird brain!" Tetra shot back.

"Let's refrain from insulting each other," the teenager cut in trying to maintain the peace that was rapidly coming undone among their little group.

"Hey! Birds are smart!" Aryll protested jumping to her feet and glaring at Tetra who had a feeling that the little girl was defending her seagulls more than she was Medli.

"Not if they fly to you!" Tetra countered, also getting to her feet.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Aryll questioned.

"Exactly!" Tetra exclaimed, letting Aryll's clueless response prove her point for her. By then it was a mess of Tetra, and Aryll yelling at each other while Medli, Makar, and Link were trying to yell over them to get in their own point of view on the subject across.

"EVERYONE SHUT YOUR MOUTHS AND SIT DOWN!" the eldest of the group shouted over all of them. They were all startled into silence and sat down save for Tetra who defiantly stayed standing. She wasn't going to let anyone order her around.

"Sit down," he ordered again, addressing only her this time.

"I don't see why I have to. Maybe I want to stand," Tetra retaliated, crossing her arms and confirming her act of defiance.

"Seriously, Tetra, sit down," Link interrupted, reaching up and grabbing Tetra's wrist before dragging her down beside him. She glared at him to which he glared back. They stayed that way, their gazes locked, a silent battle raging behind their eyes. They both broke eye contact at the same time, making it impossible to tell who had won or if there had even been a winner at all. Tetra adjusted herself so she was sitting in a more comfortable position, frowning at the floor.

"Now that we're all relatively calmed down, I'll give you each a chance to speak. Tetra will go first, then Medli, then Link, then Makar, and then Aryll," the teen instructed.

"I don't think that there's anything confusing about calling you both Link," Tetra declared.

"I think that it's confusing," Medli stated honestly.

"I don't really care," Link sighed.

"I find it confusing," Makar voted.

"I think that we should call you Link," Aryll announced, pointing to the older boy, "and we should call Big Brother, Kid 'cause Tetra already calls him that most of the time. I'll just call him Big Brother like I normally do."

"That works," Medli and Makar agreed in unison.

"Fine, at least it won't be weird for anyone," Tetra sighed in reluctant tolerance.

"Okay, now that that's solved, let's get back on topic. You guys need a way home and I already agreed to help. So, Tetra and Aryll were given a riddle which Tetra can tell you because I honestly don't remember every word of it," Link said turning over the spotlight to shine on Tetra.

"It goes like this," Tetra began to recite from memory leaving out certain parts in the beginning and replacing them for safety's sake,

"'_Search for your counterparts; Find a boy in green and princess in gold,_

_ And reach deep into the light._

_ Reawaken the servant who dreams, _

_ Then enter the castle within,_

_ And bless an ancient life with light._

_ A path shall be opened._

_ Only then may you have the means of returning home.'_"

"So far, all we've accomplished is reuniting all of you and you've obviously found me. Now all that's left of the first line is getting to the princess which isn't exactly the easiest goal to accomplish," Link admitted.

"Didn't you check while you were in town? I thought that's where the castle was located," Tetra wondered.

"I tried, but I got denied entry or an arrangement for a meeting because I am not yet eighteen years old and I have to be that old to arrange an audience with her. Even if I was the right age, which I will be in about a month, but I doubt you want to wait that long, it could still take weeks or months to get to speak with her," Link explained.

"That's a problem," Kid agreed, nodding.

"That's why we need more ideas…" Tetra huffed closing her eyes and drowning out the rest of them so the only thing she could hear clearly were her own thoughts. "_Let's see…we could lie and say that Link is eighteen, it's not like they'll ask for proof, and if they do then we can just shove a forged official document in their faces. That could work, but there's the waiting time to consider. Or we could go there and say that there's a threat to Hyrule and raise a false alarm so we can talk to the princess."_ Tetra began to formulate plans in her head but each one had a flaw. Suddenly Tetra gasped quietly and her eyes snapped open. A faint smile danced on her lips. She raised her bowed head and closed one eye in her signature wink.

"What's that look mean?" Link inquired.

"Oh no. That means she has an idea," Kid gulped.

"Tell me when we should start running," Makar squeaked.

"It's too late for that," Kid laughed timorously.


End file.
